A Gary Police officer has been placed on unpaid leave following a Jan. 17 arrest for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Corporal John H. Artibey Jr. was arrested following an encounter with Indiana State Police on Interstate 94 in Porter County, according to court documents. Artibey, a Chesterton resident and 20-year veteran of the department, was charged with operating while intoxicated with a prior conviction, a Level 6 felony, and misdemeanor operating while intoxicated.
A press release from the Gary Police Department said it took immediate administrative action by placing Artibey on unpaid leave pending the outcome of criminal proceedings and an internal investigation.
“Public trust is the cornerstone of effective policing, and we are committed to preserving it,” said Police chief Derrick Cannon in a statement on Facebook. “This incident is not a reflection of the Gary Police Department as a whole, nor does it diminish the hard work our officers do every day to keep ur city safe. We will continue to serve with the highest standards and professionalism our community deserves.”
Court records show that Artibey pled guilty in 2023 to operating a vehicle with a blood-alcohol concentration between .08 and .15, a Class C misdemeanor. Judge Christopher Buckley sentenced him to 60 days in jail, but he already had credit for 1 day served and Buckley suspended the remainder of the term.
In 2021, Artibey received an Officer of the Year commendation at the District One Law Enforcement Awards, based on his actions when he and another officer rescued a woman who was abducted while walking home from work and dragged into an abandoned building in January 2018, according to Post-Tribune archives.
U.S. Senator Todd Young, R-Indiana, was one of five Republican Senators who voted Thursday in favor of the war powers resolution that could limit President Donald Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela.
Indiana political science experts said the vote was initially surprising but ultimately tracked with Young’s military background.
In this courtroom sketch, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, left, and his wife, Cilia Flores, second from right, appear in Manhattan federal court with their defense attorneys Mark Donnelly, second from left, and Andres Sanchez, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
Aaron Dusso, professor of political science at Indiana University Indianapolis, said he was surprised that Young voted to advance the resolution because “it’s not the kind of resistance to the Trump administration that we’ve seen from Todd Young so far.”
Young’s vote shows that some Republicans are beginning to think about the life of the Republican Party after Trump leaves the White House, Dusso said.
“This would be my guess, is that Todd Young is looking at that and thinking you have to distinguish yourself and not just be a sycophant,” Dusso said.
Jennifer Hora, a professor of political science at Valparaiso University, said when she heard that a few Republicans voted to advance the war powers resolution she figured Young would be a part of that group given his experience as a U.S. Marine.
“Senator Young has been a much more traditional Republican. While certainly he votes along with the Trump administration an overwhelming amount of time, he has taken some more traditional Republican stances in his career,” Hora said.
The Senate advanced a resolution that sounded a note of disapproval for Trump’s expanding ambitions in the Western Hemisphere, including his renewed call to acquire Greenland.
Democrats and five Republicans voted to advance the war powers resolution on a 52-47 vote and ensure a vote next week on final passage. It has virtually no chance of becoming law because Trump would likely veto it if it were to pass the Republican-controlled House. Congress can override a presidential veto, but it requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers.
Still, it was a significant gesture that showed unease among some Republicans after the U.S. military seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid last weekend.
The Trump administration is now seeking to control Venezuela’s oil resources and its government, but a war powers resolution would require congressional approval for any further attacks on the South American country.
Young issued a statement Thursday that he supports Trump’s decision “to bring Nicolás Maduro to justice for his many crimes” and that the “Venezuelan people now have a new hope.” Young also praised the U.S. military personnel who carried out the mission.
“Today’s Senate vote is about potential future military action, not completed successful operations. The President and members of his team have stated that the United States now ‘runs’ Venezuela. It is unclear if that means that an American military presence will be required to stabilize the country,” Young said. “I — along with what I believe to be the vast majority of Hoosiers — am not prepared to commit American troops to that mission. Although I remain open to persuasion, any future commitment of U.S. forces in Venezuela must be subject to debate and authorization in Congress.”
Young said he supported Trump’s campaign message against forever wars.
“A drawn-out campaign in Venezuela involving the American military, even if unintended, would be the opposite of President Trump’s goal of ending foreign entanglements. The Constitution requires that Congress first authorize operations involving American boots on the ground, and my vote today reaffirms that longstanding congressional role,” Young said.
The other Republicans who backed the resolution were Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.
Trump reacted to their votes by saying on social media that they “should never be elected to office again” and that the vote “greatly hampers American Self Defense and National Security.” Trump criticized the Senate vote as “impeding the President’s Authority as Commander in Chief” under the Constitution.
Trump likely felt he had to call out the Republicans who voted to advance the measure because “public condemnation” is how the President keeps his party “in line,” Dusso said.
Presidents of both parties have long argued the War Powers Act infringes on their authority. Passed in 1973 in the aftermath of the Vietnam War — and over the veto of Republican President Richard Nixon — it has never succeeded in directly forcing a president to halt military action.
Congress declares war while the president serves as commander in chief, according to the Constitution. But lawmakers have not formally declared war since World War II, granting presidents broad latitude to act unilaterally. The law requires presidents to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying forces and to end military action within 60 to 90 days absent authorization — limits that presidents of both parties have routinely stretched.
Many presidents have taken military action, with the key to success being not to label the action as a war, while Congress tends to “side-eye” such a move, Dusso said.
“This has been a gray area basically from day one,” Dusso said. “I think the Trump administration is really good at trying to find those gray areas and then exploit them.”
Hora said there hasn’t yet been any indication that there are enough votes in the U.S. House to advance the measure to the president’s desk. While Trump hasn’t said specifically said he would veto the bill, he has made negative comments about the bill.
“You can take that as an indicator that he would veto it,” Hora said. “Certainly, they do not have anywhere near veto-proof majorities in either the House or the Senate. But, it is a significant signal to the White House because they didn’t have to … bring this to the vote.”
The parking lot at Indiana Dunes National Park’s Mount Baldy will grow bigger this year as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shaves the back of the dune to nourish the front.
Saves the Dunes Executive Director Betsy Maher praised the plan Thursday during a Green Drinks conference call.
The Corps of Engineers plans to use trucks to remove sand from the part of the parking lot Mount Baldy has already gobbled up and dump it at Crescent Beach, so it can drift westward to the face of Mount Baldy.
“That dune has been moving at a rate of sometimes up to 10 feet a year for decades,” Maher said. “There is no longer a natural dynamic where sand naturally accumulates.”
Manmade structures like the pier and breakwater at Michigan City and the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor in Portage disrupt the natural flow of sand along the southern shore of Lake Michigan.
“If you disrupt the littoral drift, then you create the erosion on the other side,” Maher said, so beach nourishment is needed. Sand dredged or removed from one place is needed to replace the sand that manmade structures block from sand-starved beaches.
“This is on hyperdrive in this area because of the creation of the harbor.”
“The park, I believe, was out of a lot of good choices. If they had waited any longer, the dune would swallow the comfort station,” Maher said. “This dune has already swallowed structures.”
The south side of Indiana Dunes National Park’s Mount Baldy is perilously close to the restroom facility on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Doug Ross/for Post-Tribune)
Removing sand from the parking lot and putting it back on beach is a good solution because it’s putting sand where it’s needed, she said.
Indiana Dunes National Park Superintendent Jason Taylor outlined the plan in December 2024 at a meet-the-public event at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center in Porter.
The process is expected to take 100 days, he said at the time.
“This is a good solution because it’s at least putting sand on the front of the dune where it’s needed,” Maher said. “It is a manmade solution, but it is mimicking a natural solution.”
“You want sandbars created during those low-water periods where you get more sand,” she said. The lake level is currently low; erosion typically happens when the lake level is high, with the difference measured in feet, not inches.
“If you have too much scouring and all the sand is gone already, then it’s not as resilient” and erosion gets worse, Maher said.
Save the Dunes’ mission includes protecting natural assets at the national park, but it also includes preserving public access to the shoreline. That’s why the nonprofit took legal action against Ogden Dunes, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and others over the town’s plan, now abandoned, to put a rock revetment along the shoreline.
“This is a hard-fought legal battle that we’re really excited about,” Maher said, but the case continues so the question of whether the DNR illegally issued the permit can be resolved. “That question still remains unanswered.”
DNR “is responsible for upholding the public’s rights along the shoreline,” Maher said.
Save the Dunes previously fought a similar legal fight in Long Beach, setting a precedent and inspiring a state law that locks in where the high water mark is calculated to indicate the boundary between private and public land.
Save the Dunes is committed to defending this public trust doctrine so all Hoosiers can walk along the beach. “We’re seeing a lot of public trust work popping up along the Great Lakes,” Maher said.
“The most resilient beach is a natural beach,” she said. “We get huge storms off our shoreline, and then you get this natural fluctuation in lake levels.”
“It used to be a 30-year cycle,” but it’s now less reliable, she said.
Where visitors once ran down the south face of Mount Baldy, pictured on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, visitors are now urged to keep off the dunes. Visitors traipsing off established trails can harm the ecosystem. (Doug Ross/for Post-Tribune)
The Indiana Dunes are more than sand, though. Maher noted Indiana Dunes National Park is the fifth most biologically diverse national park in the United States.
The park has 15 miles of protected shoreline, 16,000 acres and 50 miles of hiking trails.
When it was created in 1966, it was designated as a national lakeshore. Since 2019, when it was designated a national park, the number of visits has grown from 2 million to nearly 3 million annually. It’s the No. 1 tourist destination in Indiana.
“Unfortunately, these environmental wonders have not historically been available to everyone,” Maher said, so Save the Dunes is supporting National Park Service accessibility efforts. “We hope to make the dunes a place that is accessible to all.”
That includes donating special wheelchairs that can be used at the beach. Visitors need to contact the park before arriving to make arrangements for their free use.
Habitat restoration and preservation are also important to Save the Dunes.
Save the Dunes administers grants for this work in Northwest Indiana, including working with the National Park Service, Northwest Indiana Paddling Association and Shirley Heinze Land Trust to clear logjams on the Little Calumet River to make it navigable.
Emerald ash borers, tiny lumberjacks that they are, felled trees and created many logjams.
So far, nine of 11 miles of the river have been cleared for canoeists and kayakers.
“We’ve sunk several million dollars into restoring this river collectively,” Maher said.
In the past 20 years, Save the Dunes has had a heavy emphasis on stewardship of the land.
“Restoration work is never done, but it’s certainly not something you can start and stop,” Maher said. Eradicating invasive species usually takes five to 10 years. “If you just treat it and walk away, they just come right back.”
“Currently, about 30% of the park is actively managed,” she said.
The park needs help with public access work, too, including updating exhibits, some of which haven’t been changed since the park was created, Maher said.
Resiliency, too, is important in order to address climate change and other threats to ecosystems. A “very complicated grant” of just under $1 million from the National Coastal Resiliency Fund is bringing together conservation partners across the region to address these threats with large-scale projects, she said.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
A Gary woman pleaded guilty, but mentally ill Wednesday to the murder of her child’s father.
Shasta Young, 40, faces 45 years if the plea is accepted by a judge.
The victim, Willie Perry, 59, of Gary, was shot once in the chest. He was pronounced dead June 14, 2024 in his apartment at 12:10 p.m. His death was ruled a homicide.
The sentencing hearing is Jan. 12.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Young appeared hesitant. Why was the sentence “so high,” she asked. Judge Salvador Vasquez told her it was the lowest possible sentence for murder.
“I guess I’m guilty of it,” she said.
What do you mean “guess,” he responded. When asked, under standard questioning, if she was forced or intimidated to sign, she said no.
“I’m guilty of it,” she later said.
Police responded at 11:20 a.m. June 14, 2024 to the 5700 block of Cypress Avenue in Gary.
Lake County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force Detective David Moran wrote Young sat on the sofa while her 18-month-old daughter watched TV. She nodded to the door — where Perry lay outside — when he asked who the toddler’s father was.
“It’s up here,” Young yelled earlier to police officers who first arrived.
The gun was on the kitchen table.
“I was just defending myself, so it’s not a problem,” she told police later in an interview at the Gary Police Station.
Young was getting ready and Perry walked inside, holding the girl and a “camera.” He shoved it in her face and they “started tussling,” she said.
Three men sentenced in check-cashing scheme
Federal prosecutors said that three men were recently sentenced after plea deals in a multi-state check cashing scheme.
Carlos Aquino Sosa, 26, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He was sentenced to 41 months and would have to pay $533,000 in restitution.
Edwin Palazios Sosa, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of illegal reentry. He was sentenced to 27 months and one year on supervised release. He would also repay $533,000 in restitution.
Delvin Velasquez Romero, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and illegal reentry. He got time served and was ordered to repay $233,000 in restitution.
All three were charged in an eight-man indictment. The three men are from Honduras and face deportation after their federal sentences.
Court documents allege the men and co-defendants used fake IDs in January 2023 to cash nearly 170 fake checks at a bank in Northwest Indiana for $233,000. The checks appeared to be issued by a “company that operates (local) dairy farms.”
The men went back in June 2023 to cash another 178 fake checks for nearly $300,000 at the local bank and a trio of Oklahoma check-cashing businesses. The checks looked like they were issued by a building supply company in Oklahoma.
“The sentences imposed by the court send a message that there are real consequences for engaging in fraud, particularly in Northwest Indiana,” Acting U.S. Attorney M. Scott Proctor said in a release.
In court filings, defense lawyer Mark Psimos wrote Aquino Sosa “deeply regrets” his involvement.
Defense lawyer Marc Laterzo wrote that Velasquez Romero fell into the check-cashing ring in Houston after work painting houses dried up. He left Honduras “to pursue a better life” and make money after a cartel moved into the area.
The scheme spanned over a dozen states, according to a release.
Former Gary cop’s disability fraud case dismissed
A former Gary police officer’s disability fraud case was dismissed Tuesday after he successfully finished a pretrial diversion program, filings show.
Nicholas T. Sanchez, 48, of Hobart, was charged in May 2023 with two counts of Level 6 felony fraud and two misdemeanor counts of fraud.
Prosecutors said he lied about his injuries — saying he slipped on snow-covered stairs on duty — while collecting $17,000 off duty, according to an affidavit.
Court records accuse him of gaming the system, caught on video playing pickleball, while on “no duty.”
Sanchez, a nearly 10-year veteran, quit the Gary Police Department on April 22, 2023, a mayor’s office spokeswoman said previously.
A pretrial diversion program is typically reserved for defendants who have little or no prior criminal history.
Appeals Court upholds man’s sentence in Cedar Lake robbery
The Indiana Court of Appeals recently upheld a Gary man’s conviction in a Cedar Lake robbery.
Alexander T. Marshall, 27, was sentenced to seven years in May for robbery and a separate auto theft case.
In a 3-0 decision, Appeals Judge Stephen Scheele rejected Marshall’s argument that the sentence was too harsh.
He and co-defendant Javonte Camell, of Matteson, Illinois, were each charged in the robbery.
Both men walked into the victim’s home July 27, 2020 on the 14000 block of Wheeler Street where they found him and the victim’s girlfriend in his bedroom, records state. After asking to “smoke some weed,” the victim was getting it out of a small safe when Marshall and Camell drew guns at him, documents show.
“That’s mine,” they said, referring to $600-$800 in the safe, according to charging documents.
Former Portage Mayor James Snyder said he “has never received a fair trial” in his continued push for a new trial on an IRS charge, according to court filings.
Snyder asked for a new trial on his conviction for defrauding the IRS in federal court filings late last month. Federal prosecutors, in their response, said his request is untimely and without merit.
This is the latest chapter in a saga that began nine years ago when Snyder was indicted on one count of defrauding the IRS and two counts of bribery, one involving towing contracts and the other involving garbage trucks.
A jury in U.S. District Court in Hammond found Snyder not guilty on the charge involving the towing contract, and convicted him twice on the garbage truck charge, a case that made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which deemed in June of last year that the $13,000 payment Snyder received over a garbage truck contract was a gratuity, not a bribe, because the payment came after the contract and not before. The case was remanded to the lower courts.
A jury convicted Snyder on the IRS charge, which involved his personal business and not his duties as mayor at the time, and that conviction had remained unchallenged.
Snyder was scheduled to go to trial for a third time on the charge involving the garbage truck contract, but prosecutors have said they would like to sentence Snyder for obstructing the IRS and forgo a third trial on his bribery charge.
Snyder, awaiting sentencing on the IRS conviction, which has been repeatedly pushed back, argued in an Oct. 31 filing that he wanted a new trial on the IRS charge because the information presented on the bribery charges could have improperly swayed the jury.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office argues that Snyder’s request “is both untimely and meritless.”
“Now, after the parties agreed to proceed to sentencing on the tax count and have begun their sentencing advocacy before this Court, defendant seeks leave for additional motion practice to challenge his 2019 conviction,” prosecutors said in their filing. “Defendant wants this Court to grant the extraordinary remedy of overturning a jury’s verdict setting the case for multiple new trials.”
Snyder “failed to raise the issue of misjoinder or severance (of the charges) before trial in 2019,” prosecutors said.
He also made a “strategic decision” to go to trial on all of the counts rather than arguing at the time for the counts to be separated for trial, prosecutors said. “Defendant thus waived any claim to improper joinder by failing to make this argument before trial,” prosecutors said.
In response, Snyder filed a motion Friday requesting the court hear his motion for a new trial. Snyder’s motion states that prosecutors “charged him with bribery for conduct that ‘any fair reader’” of the law “would be left with a reasonable doubt” if a crime was committed.
“The result was a trial that was infected with constitutional error. And now that the Government has lost before the Supreme Court, it wants to use the conviction on (the IRS charge)…as a backdoor opportunity to bring in evidence of the overturned (bribery charge) instead of allowing him what he has never received – a fair trial on the tax count.”
While prosecutors stated that “the parties agreed to proceed to sentencing on the tax count,” Snyder’s lawyer wrote he never agreed to that.
“Mr. Snyder only agreed that the interests of justice call for an end to this prosecution,” his attorney wrote. “He specifically objected to the Government’s proposed use of unproven bribery allegations to enhance his sentence on the tax count. He never agreed to waive his constitutional right to a fair trial on the tax count, nor should he be compelled to do so.”
Snyder, a Republican, was first elected mayor in 2011 and reelected in 2015, a term cut short by his federal conviction in February 2019.
Snyder received a sentence of 21 months in prison for the bribery and IRS convictions and a year on supervised release from U.S. District Court Judge Matthew F. Kennelly of the Northern District of Illinois.
Snyder successfully argued that the start of his sentence should be postponed until his bid to have the Supreme Court hear his case was complete.
The end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history exposed partisan divides in Washington and left Democrats hoping, again, that Republicans will keep their word of addressing expiring healthcare subsidies in the coming months, political science experts said.
President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill Wednesday night, ending a record 43-day shutdown that caused financial stress for federal workers who went without paychecks, stranded scores of travelers at airports, and generated long lines at some food banks as Trump officials cut off SNAP benefits.
Noe Luna, a student in the East Chicago Central job skills program, packs juice into boxes to be distributed by the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
The House passed the measure on a mostly party-line vote of 222-209 on Wednesday afternoon, while the Senate had already passed the measure on Monday.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, said in a statement he voted against the continuing resolution because while the bill will ensure that emergency food assistance will be funded, “it is wrong to do so at the expense of affordable health care benefits.”
“I have spent my career as a public official working on behalf of individuals and families facing economic hardship, often through no fault of their own, who have been in need of access to food, housing, and health care. Too many times have I witnessed the difficult choice that families often make between choosing between a meal or health care services,” Mrvan said.
“I remain deeply disappointed that the Republican Majority refused to extend the health care tax credits as part of this negotiation that so many small business owners and working families rely on, even as they allow the Trump Administration to direct $40 billion in federal funds to support Argentina’s economy,” Mrvan said.
Mrvan said he also didn’t support the continuing resolution because it doesn’t fund the Toxic Exposures Fund, which supports veterans.
“As we move forward, the fight for access to affordable health care continues, and I remain committed to working with my colleagues to find a bipartisan agreement that restores the health care tax credits as soon as possible,” Mrvan said.
Senator Todd Young said in a statement that he voted in favor of the continuing resolution because it will reopen the government through Jan. 30, 2026 and include full-year appropriations for military construction, veterans affairs, agriculture and the legislative branch.
Young noted that he voted 15 times to reopen the government, but Democrats voted 14 times to against the effort.
“I am frustrated that the shutdown dragged on as long as it did and negatively affected our country in so many ways. I am grateful for all the dedicated federal workers, such as our service members and air traffic controllers, who continued to work throughout the shutdown,” Young said.
Senator Jim Banks blamed the Democrats for “holding American hostage” by continuing the shutdown.
The shutdown magnified partisan divisions in Washington as Trump took unprecedented unilateral actions — including canceling projects and trying to fire federal workers — to pressure Democrats into relenting on their demands.
Democrats wanted to extend an enhanced tax credit expiring at the end of the year that lowers the cost of health coverage obtained through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. They refused to go along with a short-term spending bill that did not include that priority. But Republicans said that was a separate fight to be held at another time.
The compromise funds three annual spending bills and extends the rest of government funding through Jan. 30. Republicans promised to hold a vote by mid-December to extend the health care subsidies, but there is no guarantee of success.
The bill includes a reversal of the Trump administration policy of firing of federal workers since the shutdown began. It also protects federal workers against further layoffs through January and guarantees they are paid once the shutdown is over.
A bill for the Agriculture Department, which funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, means people who rely on key food assistance programs will see those benefits funded without threat of interruption through the rest of the budget year.
Food Bank of Northwest Indiana CEO Victor Garcia said the organization is pleased the government shutdown has ended, but it’s unclear how soon SNAP benefits will be distributed.
“There is still some uncertainty in how and when SNAP benefits will be distributed to our neighbors in Northwest Indiana. The Food Bank will continue to provide additional nutrition support as we navigate the fallout of the shutdown together,” Garcia said.
It’s unclear whether the parties will find any common ground on health care before a potential December vote in the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he will not commit to bringing it up in his chamber. Without the enhanced tax credit, premiums on average will more than double for millions of Americans.
Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19 pandemic-era tax credits, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies.
Aaron Dusso, associate professor of political science at Indiana University Indianapolis, said he was surprised the shutdown ended when it did, but he thought it was likely because of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
Eight Democratic Senators voted to end the shutdown with the promise from Republican Senate leadership of holding a vote on healthcare subsidies in December, Dusso said. But, earlier this year, a shutdown was avoided when Republicans told Democrats that they would discuss healthcare subsidies outside of the Trump administration’s tax bill, and that never happened, he said.
“The classic cartoon is Lucy holding that football and Charlie Brown believing he’s going to finally be able to kick that football. We’ll see if that actually happens,” Dusso said.
With the government reopening, funding for programs like SNAP should move fairly quickly because the apparatus for funding is already there, Dusso said. But departments that rely on people, like air traffic controllers, could take a little longer to start back up as people return to work, he said.
It’s likely that the government shutdown won’t be top of mind for voters in 2026 as many more things will occur at the federal level between now and then, Dusso said.
“I don’t think there’s going to be much, as far as outside of Washington, much memory of it. Inside Washington, some of the memories are going to come down to internal to the Democratic Party. There will certainly be hurt feelings and distrust,” Dusso said.
Voters will determine the outcomes of two special elections in Lake County on Tuesday, but there are no candidates on the ballot.
At stake are two school property tax measures in neighboring Lake Central School Corp. and the Hanover Central Community Schools.
A sign in support of Lake Central’s school referendum sits on a yard north of 93rd Avenue. (Carole Carlson/Post-Tribune)
The Duneland School Corp., based in Chesterton, is also holding a referendum vote.
Hanover and Lake Central districts are asking voters to renew operating referendums they say will continue to fund student transportation, teacher and non-certified salaries, utility costs, safety and student programs.
Political action committees, or PACs, have formed to support both school districts as they seek renewals of previous successful referendums.
Lake Central’s 2018 referendum passed with 53% of the vote.
This time, the district increased the rate to 26.14 cents per $100 of assessed value, up from 17 cents.
Officials said the property tax relief credits and deductions homeowners will see under a new property tax relief law — Senate Enrolled Act 1 — will offset the referendum tax increase.
The school district’s boundaries for voting includes parts of Dyer, St. John, Schererville and unincorporated sections of Lake County.
The property tax relief law is expected to cut about $12.3 million in revenue from Lake Central over a three-year span through 2028, according to the state Legislative Services Agency. The district has retained Policy Analytics to do a deeper dive into its revenue picture.
The new law also specified that districts can only run referendums during general statewide elections, as opposed to a primary or general election.
If approved, Lake Central’s referendum would raise nearly $17.8 million annually. Officials said $12 million would be earmarked for retaining teachers and staff. Also, the spending plan includes $2 million for maintaining class sizes, $1.7 million for student health and safety programs.
Lauren Bridgeman, a member of Friends of Lake Central’s political action committee, said supporters have been knocking on doors making sure voters understand what’s at stake.
She’s been teaching math and science for 10 years at Clark Middle School.
“Typically, we’ve had a lot of great feedback from the community,” she said.
She said committee members tell voters with revenue from the last referendum, the district added three police officers in schools, counselors, nurses, reading specialists, and math coaches at all levels.
The money from the referendum will be used to maintain the spending plan in place, she said. Lake Central has about 9,200 students.
Bridgeman said more than 2,000 people have already voted.
She said there’s been confusion with the online calculator that estimates a homeowner’s referendum cost on the state Department of Local Government’s website.
She said the DLGF calculator was misleading because it led people to believe their taxes would increase dramatically.
“We have a calculator on our website, and even with the referendum approved, their taxes will go down,” she said. That’s largely because of the new property tax law.
Friends of Lake Central’s website is supportlakecentral.com.
Bridgeman said referendum backers also educate voters on the impact of Senate Enrolled Act 1, which reduces money the district will receive over the next three years and gives it back to taxpayers.
If the referendum fails, officials said they’ll have to make difficult decisions about budget cuts that impact students like larger class sizes, fewer teachers and a reduction in course offerings and extracurricular activities.
Meanwhile, the Hanover Community School Corp., in Cedar Lake, is seeking its third referendum renewal to raise slightly more than $5 million each year. It passed with 60% of the vote in 2020.
The property tax levy would remain at 29 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
Information about the referendum is on the district’s website, hanover.k12.in.us/referendum.
About $2.5 million in referendum funds would be spent on keeping class sizes small; $1.5 million for bus transportation and $759,000 for school resource officers.
“I am cautiously optimistic, we have a lot of supportive parents and we’ve done a lot of work,” said Superintendent Mary Tracy-MacAulay.
She said the revenue for bus transportation was crucial because of the community’s explosive subdivision growth. The small district of about 2,800 students gained 730 students, or a 33% increase, since 2015.
Tracy-MacAulay said the district had to institute a one-mile walk zone two years ago. “This area is just booming,” she said.
The boom has been slowed by a town water moratorium, but Tracy-MacAulay expects once it’s resolved that more homes will be built.
“We’re holding the line but with SEA 1, we’ll lose about $6.1 million over the next three years,” she said of the property tax relief law.
She said the referendum funds about 125 staff jobs and allowed for an increase in student programs.
Andy Yakubik, who heads the Friends of Hanover Community Schools political action committee, said voter turnout is key.
“A lot of people aren’t aware it’s on the ballot and the new state wording is very misleading, pointing to the ballot’s 43% increase wording.
“It’s frustrating, nobody knows how the state came up with the 43% figure. The state would not show us their work.
“They’re trying to undercut the ability of districts to have referendums. Now, they’re only in statewide elections.”
He said SEA 1 also left a 5% decrease in Hanover’s budget and if the referendum doesn’t pass, it will mean an 11% cut.
“There comes a point there’s nothing you can cut that isn’t necessary,” he said.
Yakubik said his family moved to the Cedar Lake area about 30 years ago because he and his wife wanted smaller schools for their children.
“The amount of cutbacks if they lose would be painful. It would really hit bus service, bus costs have nearly doubled,” he said.
Early voting in both special elections is open until noon on Monday at the Lake County Board of Elections Early and Registration office, 2293 N. Main St., in Crown Point; the St. John Township Assessor’s office, 9157 Wicker Ave.; and the Schererville Town Hall, 10 E. Joliet St.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
A Gary man was convicted late Friday of killing a woman and wounding her fiancé at the Willows apartments.
Jurors found Thomas Starks, 22, guilty of murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery and burglary. He lived upstairs from the couple.
His sentencing is set for Nov. 19.
Gary Police were called Aug. 8, 2023, around 11 p.m. to the Willows apartments on the 300 block of Clark Road for a shots-fired call.
Wilson, 27, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Her fiance told officers they were returning from Buffalo Wild Wings when a gunman ambushed them from above.
The man added he and Wilson both carried guns inside — an AR pistol and Glock 22, respectively — because they had been having problems with their upstairs neighbors.
Days earlier, Starks and his sister Leticia Starks, who was not charged in the shooting, were caught on camera burglarizing the victims’ apartment.
In testimony this week, she declined to say her brother was the person with her stealing from the other apartment. She pleaded the 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination on cross-examination, before prosecutors later granted her immunity to finish her testimony.
A July 25, 2023, police report noted the victims’ door handle was broken as if the burglars forced their way inside. Items including an iPad, iPhone and Nike gym shoes were missing.
The apartment video appeared to show a man and woman with orange hair rummaging through the unit. The man had a face mask, Nike sweatshirt, and dark pants. He was holding a gun with a purple glove on with his left hand.
The building’s outside camera didn’t pick them up coming inside the building, leaving police to believe they lived there.
On the night of the shooting, the apartment building’s cameras captured the victims going inside, armed with two guns. Then, the female victim’s “silhouette” falls down, hitting the front door’s glass.
The alleged shooter — also wearing a glove and holding the gun in his left hand — flees toward the back of the building.
No one appeared to come inside the building for at least two hours before the shooting.
Federal prosecutors allege that a man hit a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle in Gary while trying to evade an immigration arrest Oct. 13 after dropping his child at school.
Charges were unsealed Thursday for Rosario Carrillo Lopez.
He was charged in the U.S. District Court in Northern Indiana with forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding or interfering with an officer or employee of the United States while engaged in or on account of performance of official duties.
The lengthy charge accuses him of assaulting officers with a “deadly weapon” – his SUV.
His lawyer Roxanne Mendez Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Documents state he could face up to 20 years in prison.
Gary Police notified ICE on a previous date when he showed officers his Mexican Consulate identification card, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Steven Moran wrote.
When U.S. Homeland Security agents ran his information, they discovered he was in the U.S. illegally and had been arrested in the past for a “narcotics offense.” Formal charges could not be immediately found in Lake County.
ICE agents staked out the listed Gary address on the ID and followed the SUV when Carrillo Lopez appeared to take the child to school. All had body armor labeled “Police.” At least one also wore an “ICE badge patch.”
They pulled him over on Clark Road, between 5th and 6th avenues, records show. One agent said he was from “Homeland Security.” Carrillo Lopez asked in English the reason for the traffic stop. He declined to turn the vehicle off. At least two agents were on each side of the SUV.
When one tried to reach into a half-open window to unlock the driver’s door, Carrillo Lopez took off over a curb, leading them on a high-speed chase for two blocks before they cut him off near the Willows apartments entrance.
There, Carrillo Lopez forcibly side-swiped one government vehicle to escape, filings show. He cracked and scraped the side passenger bumper while damaging the wheel well, documents state.
Immigration agents called Gary Police to report the accident.
The Post-Tribune previously reported ICE agents said a man hit their vehicle on the 300 block of Clark Road on Oct. 13.
Gary Police Cmdr. Tom Pawlak said ICE agents had targeted the individual and attempted to stop his car about 9 a.m. When agents approached the vehicle, they asked the driver to step out of the car.
Pawlak said the man put the car in gear and rammed one of the ICE vehicles, drove over the curb and fled.
Pawlak said the incident took place about three blocks south of the Gary Lighthouse Charter High School, 725 Clark Road on the city’s west side.
Pawlak said Gary police were not involved in the attempted arrest but did take an accident report filed by ICE agents at the police station.
An Illinois man, who was driving his semi-trailer without a proper license when he was involved in an Oct. 15 fatal crash in Portage, now faces an immigration detainer filed against him by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Borko Stankovic, 41, of Lyons, is charged with Level 5 felonies for reckless homicide and criminal recklessness. Stankovic is accused of causing the crash on U.S. 20 at Douglas Drive when he made a hard left evasive maneuver, crossed the center line and struck head-on a Subaru, driven by Jeff Eberly, 54, of Mishawaka, who died at the scene, court records show.
While being held in the Porter County Jail, ICE recently filed the detainer charges against Stankovic. He is from Serbia and Montenegro and has been here illegally since February 2011, when his non-immigrant visa status expired, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Stankovic’s arrest follows a pattern of undocumented immigrants driving commercial vehicles on American roads, directly threatening public safety, Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said in a release.
Portage Police found that Stankovic only had an Illinois driver’s license and lacked the required commercial driver’s license.
“This senseless tragedy should never have happened, and this man (Eberly) should still be alive today. Stankovic has been in this country illegally since 2011,” McLaughlin said in the release. “Illegal aliens have no business operating 18-wheelers or semi-trucks on America’s highways.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Stankovic was the registered agent for two companies that in 2020 obtained federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling $36,082, public records show. Both loans — designed to help businesses during the pandemic — were forgiven in 2021, a ProPublica database of federal PPP loans shows.
ESD Team Inc., which has a home address in Lyons, obtained a $20,457 loan on May 14, 2020, the ProPublica database shows. Stankovic was the registered agent for the company when it was established in 2012, Illinois Secretary of State records show.
Stankovic was the registered agent for Eclipse Trucking Inc. of Merrillville when it was founded in 2018, Indiana Secretary of State records show. Eclipse Trucking Inc. received a loan for $15,624 on June 8, 2020, the ProPublica database records show.
Eclipse Trucking Inc. became inactive as of March 5, 2025, Indiana Secretary of State records show.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith issued a statement Wednesday in support of redistricting, calling the Indiana Senate a place “where conservative ideas from the House go to die.”
Northwest Indiana Democrats told the Post-Tribune Wednesday that they’re not supportive of the lieutenant governor’s comments and redistricting.
“The people of Indiana did not elect a Republican supermajority so our Senate could cower, compromise, or collapse at the very moment courage is (required),” Beckwith said in his statement. “Yet, here we are again. The Indiana Republican-controlled Senate is failing to stand with President Trump, failing to defend the voice of Hoosier voters, and failing to deliver the 9-0 conservative map our citizens overwhelmingly expect.”
Beckwith’s statement seemingly comes in response to a Politico report saying Indiana Senate Republicans do not have the votes to pass mid-census redistricting of Indiana’s Congressional maps. A spokesperson for Senate President Pro Tempore Rodic Bray told Politico that “the votes aren’t there for redistricting,” according to the Wednesday report.
“Gov. (Mike) Braun is still having positive conversations with members of the legislature and is confident the majority of Indiana statehouse Republicans will support efforts to ensure fair representation in congress for every Hoosier,” a spokesperson for Braun responded to the redistricting claims, according to an X post.
President Donald Trump has pressured Republican-led states to redraw their Congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections to secure a Republican majority in Congress, even though redistricting occurs after each 10-year census data is released. Indiana last redrew Congressional maps in 2021, which left Republicans with seven seats and Democrats with two seats, according to Post-Tribune archives.
In his statement, Beckwith said Indiana should “be leading the nation, not apologizing for being a strong conservative state.”
“I am calling on my Republican colleagues in the Indiana Senate to find your backbone, to remember who sent you here, and to reclaim Indiana’s rightful voice in Congress by drawing a 9-0 map,” Beckwith said. “History will not remember those who stepped aside when action was necessary. Hoosiers are demanding warriors, so their voice is heard. If we will not fight now, for our state, our children, and our country, then what exactly are we here for?”
State Senators Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, and Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, were both unable to immediately comment on Beckwith’s statement Wednesday afternoon. State Senator Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, said in a text that he hadn’t seen Beckwith’s statement but didn’t comment after being sent the statement.
Indiana Democratic Party Chair Karen Tallian expressed her displeasure with Beckwith’s comments in a Wednesday phone call, adding that she’s not surprised by the pressure from the Trump administration.
Karen Tallian (Photo courtesy of the Indiana Democratic Party)
“I do not take Micah Beckwith’s posturing seriously,” Tallian said. “What does surprise me is that the governor has stated numerous times that he was going to leave this up to the legislature and let the legislature call it, and frankly, the legislature is not all that keen about calling it.”
Beckwith’s claims make it seem that constituents are pushing for redistricting, Tallian said, but she doesn’t believe the public is clamoring for the action.
If the Indiana Senate goes forth with redistricting, Tallian believes litigation will follow, especially as filing for congressional districts starts in January.
“Before people can file, these maps would have to be approved, and all the precinct lines would have to be drawn,” she said. “I mean, there’s a huge amount of work that would have to be done. How are we going to have filings in January if people don’t know where the districts are?”
Instead of redistricting, Tallian said she’d like to see state senators focus on issues that are important to Hoosiers, including advocating for workers and their wages.
State Senator Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, responded to Beckwith’s comments in a Wednesday phone call. Pol believes the district maps need to “be drawn in a fair and balanced way that represents everybody.”
State Senator Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, speaks during a town hall in Portage concerning the proposed Republican redistricting of the state on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
“This is not how we do redistricting — we do it every 10 years,” Pol said. “They could call us in for a special session and draw maps that give Democrats two more seats, and I would still vote against it. It’s not the process, it’s not right, and it’s not how we do things.”
Pol is also concerned to see pressure from Braun, Beckwith and members of the Trump administration, including Vice President JD Vance.
“The polls have shown that the majority of Hoosiers do not want this, and I think the Senate is reflecting that right now,” Pol said. “They want answers to real-life problems. They want fixes to (Senate Enrolled Act 1), they want prices for their groceries to go down, they want prices for their utilities to go down, and they want housing to be fixed. Nobody wants to spend time on something that’s an illegitimate process.”
A Griffith man has been arrested in connection with an October 6 interstate shooting that injured two people.
Nathaniel C. Malone, 23, of Griffith, was charged with two counts of attempted murder, a Level 1 felony.
According to an Indiana State Police news release, troopers responded at around 8 p.m. to a shooting just north of 61st Avenue in the southbound lanes of Interstate 65, the Post-Tribune previously reported. Early Friday morning, the Northwest Regional SWAT Team assisted ISP detectives in serving a search warrant at a residence in Griffith, ISP Lowell District spokesman Sgt. Glen Fifield said in the release.
Malone, 23, wasn’t home at the time of the search, but he eventually returned and was taken into custody first by Griffith Police, then by ISP detectives who formally arrested him, Fifield said.
During the search, investigators seized a stolen firearm as well as drugs, police said.
Malone is being held at the Lake County Jail on $100,000 bail, or $10,000 surety.
A jury convicted a Crown Point man in an attempted rape trial Wednesday.
Dominique Gee, 30, was convicted of attempted rape, criminal confinement, an enhancement, and various misdemeanors, including battery resulting in bodily injury, and two counts resisting law enforcement.
His sentencing date is Nov. 7.
A charging affidavit alleged Gee tried to rape a woman on Aug. 2, 2024 at the Days Inn, 4000 Calumet Avenue in Hammond.
The victim told police they were smoking outside, when Gee said he needed her phone to snap a picture of some damage on his car. Instead, he took a picture of her, she said.
He punched her as she tried to get the phone back. The woman told police he wrapped his arms around her and tried to pull her to a broken part of the fence.
“You’re gonna give me some,” he told her, as he put his hand over her mouth.
She tried to scream and a man pulled up and shined his car lights on them. The woman said she was able to run inside the motel.
Gee was later arrested on the 6900 block of Hohman Avenue. He ran briefly from the cops before he was taken into custody.
The woman testified at trial, identifying Gee on a motel security video.
Deputy Prosecutors Tara Villarreal and Jacquelyn Altpeter-Carellas were assigned. Defense lawyers Marc Laterzo and Sonya D. Scott-Dix represented Gee.
The Environmental Law and Policy Center and other Midwest organizations submitted comments to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management about proposed changes to a U.S. Steel Gary Works permit.
“These proposed modifications fail to set reasonable particulate matter emissions limits and make it difficult for IDEM and the public to know whether U.S. Steel is complying with those limits,” Elise Zaniker, associate attorney with ELPC, said in a statement. “The public has a right to know how much particulate matter this unit will emit and whether U.S. Steel is complying with its Title V air permit.”
The modification would revise sections of a permit that regulates the pig iron caster unit’s particulate matter emissions, which is a pollutant that can lead to increased rates of asthma, heart attacks and premature deaths, according to the ELPC.
Concerns with U.S. Steel’s potential permit modifications include: the compliance equation to determine particulate matter limits is “unclear, unenforceable and does not account for fugitive emissions”; the proposal requires emissions testing once every five years; part of the pig iron production process would be removed from the fugitive emissions listing based on U.S. Steel’s visual observation; and the modification may underestimate particulate matter emissions.
The ELPC submitted comments with the Environmental Integrity Project, Gary Advocates for Responsible Development, National Parks Conservation Association, Conservation Law Center and Abrams Environmental Law Clinic.
“Gary Works can do better at maintaining and monitoring the production and pollution control equipment at the mill,” Dorreen Carey, president of GARD, said in a statement. “If you live in Gary, you can see the constant brown haze around the blast furnaces and the basic oxygen furnace, you can smell the noxious odors. It is IDEM’s responsibility to oversee and protect the health and environment of Indiana cities and residents and natural resources.”
U.S. Steel responded to the concerns in a Thursday statement, saying the permit revisions reflect the company’s commitment to environmental compliance.
In the statement, a company spokesperson said the original application was submitted before construction and “conservatively estimated emissions using available data from similar, but not identical processes to pig iron casting.”
“Because these assumptions were necessary, the permit required U.S. Steel to validate them through emission testing,” the statement said. “Upon startup of the pig iron caster, U.S. Steel conducted a series of emission evaluations to determine actual emissions from the caster. The purpose of the requested modification is to incorporate site-specific emission information developed through the emission studies. This modification will incorporate actual data, resulting in a more accurate and robust method for determining emissions so we may demonstrate compliance. This is typical when permitting new processes for which there is limited data.”
The comments come less than one week after IDEM hosted a public meeting at 21st Century Charter School of Gary about the pig iron permit modification. GARD encouraged people to attend and address concerns about the air pollution impact of particulate matter emissions, according to a Facebook post from the organization.
IDEM will make a decision about the permit modification at a later date.
Northwest Indiana environmentalists also testified in a series of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hearings, regarding its national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants for coke ovens and integrated iron and steel manufacturing facilities.
On June 30, the EPA issued an interim final rule for national emission standards for integrated iron and steel manufacturing facilities, which pushes back all 2025 and 2026 compliance dates for standards to April 3, 2027, according to EPA documents. The coke oven compliance deadlines would change from July 2025 to July 2027 if the interim final rule goes into effect, according to the EPA.
Northwest Indiana facilities are included in the rule updates, including U.S. Steel’s Gary Works facility and Cleveland-Cliffs’ Burns Harbor facility. The Indiana Harbor facility, which is operated by Cleveland-Cliffs and has a partnership with SunCoke Energy, is also included.
“Delaying compliance with these rules for two more years appeases the industry, ignores feasible solutions and does great harm to our environment and the health of people living and working in Northwest Indiana,” said Allan Halline, a retired physician and member of GARD. “As a physician who has personally witnessed the adverse health effects stemming from air pollution, I’m appalled by your actions. There are thousands of scientific publications dealing with the health effects of air pollution, and it’s clear that even the current standards are insufficient.”
A train headed east through downtown Valparaiso derailed Saturday night after the train’s crew observed someone lying on the tracks and engaged the emergency brakes, according to a spokesman for Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad.
Intersections throughout downtown remained closed early Sunday afternoon, though Tom Ciuba, the railroad’s spokesman, expected the area to be clear by Sunday evening.
Four empty auto racks were derailed, according to an email from Ciuba. “There were no injuries, and no hazardous material was involved,” he said.
A Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad train blocks Napoleon Street in downtown Valparaiso on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, after a derailment the previous night. (Amy Lavalley/Post-Tribune)
Valparaiso Police received notice about the derailment around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Capt. Joe Hall, the department’s public information officer.
The derailment occurred three hours after the 46th annual Popcorn Festival wrapped up in downtown Valparaiso, an event that draws tens of thousands of people to the community.
Hall confirmed Sunday afternoon that the crossings were still blocked and said there was no time frame for when they would reopen, but said via text that it “could be extensive.”
A maintenance crew was still at the scene of the incident conducting repairs early Sunday afternoon, Ciuba said in the email, and the railroad expects the line to resume normal operations by Monday.
It’s not immediately clear how many rail cars there were on the train. Workers on the scene at Monroe and Napoleon streets told the Post-Tribune they were contractors and declined to comment.
The impacted railroad crossings, according to a Saturday night Facebook post by the police department, were Greenwich Street, Axe Avenue, Franklin Street, Washington Street, Lafayette Street and Napoleon Street.
Ciuba said he anticipated the area being fully cleared by 6 p.m. Sunday.
The Lake County Plan Commission has ordered all work to stop on a parcel of land Donald Trump Jr. presented to St. John last month because the company he represented isn’t registered with the state.
Planning Commission Director Ned Kovachevich, in a letter sent to RBCP Investments dated August 18 that the Post-Tribune obtained, ordered the entity to “cease and desist any activity related to the development of the property.” The stop work order is for “illegal activity” at a parcel of land on or about 12863 State Line Road in Cedar Lake. The property is not contiguous to St. John and was transferred to RBCP on July 2, according to the Lake County Assessor’s Office.
“The illegal activity involves the construction of commercial/industrial well-digging and siting by a potentially unlicensed well-digging contractor on the approximate 166.55 acres, more or less, in the unincorporated areas of Lake County,” Kovachevich wrote in the letter. “This type of activity is unacceptable and violates several sections of the Unincorporated Lake County Unified Development Ordinance.”
Donald Trump Jr. visited Portage and St. John July 23 in connection with a pair of projects with which he’s involved. He received a standing ovation from a full St. John Town Hall chamber for his work in securing an easement and water rights agreement for land the town is believed to have annexed, the Post-Tribune previously reported.
Kovachevich’s letter lists an address for RBCP in Covington, Indiana, but a check of the Indiana Secretary of State website reveals that RBCP Investments LLC was registered on August 20 to Stephen Jarzombek, of St. John. When reached Tuesday, Jarzombek declined to comment.
St. John Town Manager Bill Manousopoulos said Tuesday he would respond to the Post-Tribune’s questions by deadline but didn’t. The Post-Tribune asked whether town officials new RBCP wasn’t registered with the state, among other things.
Kovachevich, in the letter, said the town has 15 days to respond to his letter; if it doesn’t, the County Plan Commission “may seek an injunction seeking immediate cessation of any activity and fines and penalties commensurate with the work that has been done.” He told the Post-Tribune Tuesday that he’s been approached by several residents in the area and is curious as to what’s going on with the parcel.
“The County doesn’t regulate well digging because those contractors are regulated by the state,” he said. “We’re looking forward to talking with St. John and finding out what they’re doing.”
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Micah Koppang, a 2025 Valparaiso University graduate, has been selected for a Fulbright scholarship.
Koppang, a Spanish major with a minor in political science who previously studied in Chile, is expected to go to the Asunción metropolitan area of Paraguay to be an English teaching assistant from February to December 2026, according to a release.
Koppang is among a select number of U.S. citizens who earned opportunities to study, conduct research and teach abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as a record of service and leadership in their respective fields, the release said.
Low back pain subject of clinical trial
Lakeshore Bone and Joint Institute has been selected as one of the 45 U.S. sites for a new clinical study evaluating the use of mesenchymal precursor cells (a type of stem cells) in subjects with moderate to severe chronic low back pain, a release said.
The study involves seven visits to Dr. Dwight Tyndall’s office. Participants who complete all the study-required assessments can receive up to $1,575 as a reimbursement for time and travel for the study, the release said.
Those interested in seeing if they qualify for participation can contact Tyndall’s office at 219- 250-5035. Information regarding the clinical trial and eligibility criteria can be found at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06325566).
Innovators announce ‘25 awards lunch event
Registration is open for the Purdue Northwest Society of Innovators 2025 Innovators Awards Luncheon, starting at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 29 at Avalon Manor Banquet Center, 3550 E. Lincoln Highway, Merrillville, a release said.
Now in its 20th year, the annual awards focus on the spirit of creativity and ingenuity by discovering, honoring and celebrating innovators from across the seven-county region of Northwest Indiana, the release said.
The 2025 Innovators Awards winners will be officially recognized and inducted into the Society of Innovators during the event. Registration is open. Individual tickets are $50 and table sponsorships of 10 may be purchased for $600. Additional sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information and to register, visit www.pnw.edu/soi or contact Jason Williams at jawilliams@pnw.edu.
YWCA of NWI to host October gala
The YWCA of NWI will host its annual Circle of Friends Gala at 6 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana at 5400 W. 29th Ave. in Gary, according to a release.
Samantha Chatman of ABC 7 Chicago will again serve as the celebrity host. Keeping with Circle of Friends tradition, organizers will honor several individuals who have shown support to the YWCA of NWI and their community. The YWCA of NWI honor distinguished awardees including Judge Deidre Monroe, Circle of Vision Award; Shelice Tolbert, attorney, Women who Lead Award; Denise Dillard, Safe Futures Award and Susan Watkins, YWCA NWI Longevity Award.
In addition, organizers will present the Earline Rogers Trailblazer Award, in honor of the late former state senator and YWCA board member emerita, to Chelsea Whittington, CEO of C WHITT PR and longtime publicist for the YWCA of NWI.
Tickets to the Circle of Friends Gala are available for purchase as well a variety of sponsorship opportunities which can be found at https://2025ywcanwicof.swell.gives/
Franciscan to host doula workshop in Crown Point
Franciscan Health Crown Point is hosting a DONA International Birth Doula workshop over two weekends in October, according to a release.
Doulas are trained professionals who provide continuous physical, emotional and informational support to their clients before, during and shortly after childbirth. A doula may help communicate a woman’s birth plan, create a comfortable environment during delivery or simply provide the general support a family may seek during this pivotal time. A doula does not perform clinical tasks, the release said.
The $600 doula workshop will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 4-5 and Oct. 18-19 at Franciscan Health Crown Point, 12750 St. Francis Drive. Participants must be 18 years old or older and attend all four days of classes to receive a certificate of completion.
Registration is available online and must be completed by Sept. 22. For more information, call 219-746-9134.
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith (far right) and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb (far left) recently presented a Hoosier Homestead Award to the Oldendorf family of Lake County, who were recognized for their farm reaching its sesquicentennial, a release said. The farm was started in 1851. (Photo courtesy of Indiana State Department of Agriculture)
95 family farms honored with Hoosier Homestead Award
Longevity is paying off for family farms in Lake and Porter counties with the Hoosier Homestead Award.
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb presented 95 farming families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture recently at the Indiana State Fair, a release said.
In Lake County, the Oldendorf farm, which was started in 1851, was honored for reaching its sesquicentennial. The Kuehl farm in Porter County, which was started in 1874, also received its sesquicentennial designation.
Indiana farms may qualify for three honors: Centennial Award for 100 years of ownership, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years of ownership and the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership. Eight Indiana farms received the Bicentennial Award.
Merrillville preschool program accredited
The Merrillville Community School Corp’s. Preschool/Head Start Program has received accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a release said.
The NAEYC Accreditation is the mark of quality in early childhood education, demonstrating that the preschool program meets rigorous standards in areas such as curriculum quality, teaching practices, family engagement and health and safety, the release said.
NAEYC accreditation is a voluntary process that involves a comprehensive review of program quality, including classroom observations, staff qualifications and program policies. Only programs that meet all of NAEYC’s criteria are awarded accreditation, which is valid for five years. For more information, contact Christine Waugh at 219-756-5940.
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith (far right) and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb (far left) recently presented a Hoosier Homestead Award to the Kuehl family of Porter County, who were recognized for their farm reaching its sesquicentennial, a release said. The farm was started in 1874. (Photo courtesy of Indiana State Department of Agriculture)
Kouts wins $10K national grant
The Kouts Volunteer Fire Department was among seven volunteer departments in Indiana to receive a $10,000 grant from State Farm and the National Volunteer Fire Council, according to a release.
Funding will be used for equipment to help keep the emergency personnel safe and protect their communities. Through this year’s Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program, 150 departments in 44 states received the grant, including seven departments in Indiana.
In Indiana, other departments receiving the grant include: Jennings Township Volunteer Fire Department, Austin; Manilla Volunteer Fire Department, Monroe Township Cowan Volunteer Fire Department, Muncie; Owen Township Volunteer Fire Department, Norman; Palmyra Fire Department and St. Anthony Volunteer Fire Department.
PNW awarded $1.8M fed funding
Purdue University Northwest has received $1.8 million in renewed federal funding that will support resources for first-generation and low-income students, as well as students living with disabilities, through its TRIO Student Support Services program, according to a release.
The program assists eligible PNW students with comprehensive services that support their college journeys through graduation and preparation for entering the workforce or graduate school. Approximately 200 PNW students are served through TRIO SSS at the university, the release said.
A substance leaking out of two inactive BP lines in the Cobblestones neighborhood of Munster Wednesday appears to be harmless, but the Munster Fire Department is calling for caution just the same.
Munster Fire Chief Mark Hajduk told the Post-Tribune Wednesday evening that residents called the department Tuesday for an odor and then a sheen near the area of the odor August 19. Munster Fire contacted BP as soon as it determined there were pipelines, he said.
BP then sent out response crews, which set up equipment — including air monitoring — to collect the material. As of right now, there is no elevated reading of any kind, Hajduk said.
“We’re collecting the material and will be out here for the next 24 hours, but at this time, there’s no imminent danger,” Hajduk said. “The safety of our responders, the community and the environment remain our highest priority, and updates will be issued as more information becomes available.”
Residents in the area should nevertheless not touch the substance and follow instruction of the response personnel, he added.
Residents with concerns should reach out to BP Pipeline at 1-800-548-6482 or the Munster Fire department at 219-836-6960.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
A judge gave a Gary man five years in prison Wednesday for a string of burglaries.
Christian Felkamp, 24, of Gary, pleaded guilty in June to two counts of burglary.
He admitted breaking into Robert Henry Corporation’s property on Jan. 25 in the 2100 block of Southlake Mall in Hobart and stealing a trailer with four spools of NIPSCO wire.
In a separate incident, he admitted to sawing through the roof of Fantasy Gentleman’s Club, 3850 179th Street in Hammond on Nov. 22 to try stealing cash from the ATM.
As part of the deal, he has to repay nearly $7,000 to the Robert Henry Corporation, $2,300 to the strip club, $1,000 to Midwest PGM Recycling, and more than $28,000 to NIPSCO.
In court Wednesday, Judge Salvador Vasquez asked why he had done “so many burglaries.”
Maybe it was “out of opportunity, boredom,” the judge said.
In exchange for the plea deal, Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Adam Martin agreed to dismiss several other theft charges.
Defense lawyer Chris Stidham said after the hearing he argued that Felkamp had no prior criminal history, had a tight-knit family, but made “poor decisions.” It was a period where he was dealing with “life stresses.” His client was working for the Robert Henry corporation, a NIPSCO subcontractor, he said.
Felkamp has four other pending burglary and auto theft cases in Porter County.
