MERRILLVILLE – More than 450 people attended the Influential Women of Northwest Indiana Awards Banquet at Avalon Manor Thursday night to honor the most successful women in 11 different industries.
The categories for which women were awarded include business, construction, economic development, education, finance, government, healthcare, law, media/marketing, nonprofit and service/tourism. Two women were awarded in each of the 11 industries, one for the Influential Woman Award and one for the Up and Coming Woman Award.
“Our nominating committee had their work cut out for them this year,” Event Organizer Andrea Pearman said. “We had more than 172 applicants and 90 finalists to choose from, and the number of deserving women was truly amazing.”
Alumni who received Influential Women Awards during previous ceremonies were also in attendance to welcome the class of 2013.
An overall winner was also chosen for Influential Woman of the Year and Up and Coming Woman of the Year. JoAnn Birdzell, Chief Executive Officer of St. Catherine Hospital, was named the 2013 Influential Woman of the Year, while Tricia Hanrath, Safety Coordinator for Superior Construction Company, Inc. was honored as the 2013 Up and Coming Woman of the Year.
NIPSCO also received the Empowering Business of the Year Award, which recognizes one company that demonstrates excellence in supporting women’s success.
Denise Dillard, Chief Consultant of Government and External Affairs at Methodist Hospitals, received the 2013 Community Leader Award for her service throughout Northwest Indiana, andCalvin Bellamy, of Krieg DeVault, was named 2013 Supporter of the Year for submitting the most nominations for the Influential Women of Northwest Indiana Awards during the three years since the event began.
“All of our finalists and winners are deserving of these accolades,” Pearman said. “They are committed throughout the year to making Northwest Indiana such an exceptional place to live and work.”
During the past two years, Influential Women of Northwest Indiana has also donated more than $20,000 to area nonprofits. This year, four more organizations received funds – Sojourner Truth House, The Caring Place, Discoveries Unlimited, and the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana.
“The nonprofits that we selected are solely focused on improving the quality of life in Northwest Indiana,” Pearman said. “We had a very impressive list of organizations to choose from, and these four stood out. The projects these funds go to will specifically benefit girls and women.”
A full list of the women, organizations and nonprofits that were honored at the Influential Women of Northwest Indiana Awards Banquet can be found at www.nwiwomen.com.
 
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And the winners are …
 
2013 Overall Influential Woman of the Year
JoAnn Birdzell, Chief Executive Officer
St. Catherine Hospital
 
2013 Overall Up and Coming Woman of the Year
Tricia Hanrath, Safety Coordinator
Superior Construction Co., Inc.
 
Empowering Business of the Year 
NIPSCO
 
2013 Community Leader Award Winner
Denise Dillard, Chief Consultant, Government and External Affairs
Methodist Hospitals
 
2013 Supporter of the Year 
Calvin Bellamy
Krieg DeVault
 
 
2013 Influential Women of the Year (Category listed above each name)
 
Business
Kimberly Broader, Manager, NISPCO Business Office
NIPSCO
 
Construction
Melissa Neff, President
Mechanical Concepts
 
Economic Development
Dawn Collins, Broker/Owner
Century 21 Executive Realty
 
 
Education
O’Merrial Butchee, Gerald I. Lamkin Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center Director
Ivy Tech Community College
 
Finance
Rachel Saxon, President/Senior Trust Officer
Horizon Bank
 
Government
Senator Earline Rogers
Indiana State Senator
 
Healthcare
JoAnn Birdzell, Chief Executive Officer
St. Catherine Hospital
 
Law
Sean Kenyon, Attorney
Hoeppner Wagner & Evans LLP
 
Marketing/ Media
Chelsea Whittington, Communication Director
City of Gary
 
Nonprofit
Maggi Spartz, Asset Developer
Unity Foundation of La Porte County
 
Service/Tourism
Lorelei Weimer, Director of Tourism
Indiana Dunes Tourism
 
2013 Up and Coming Women of the Year (Category listed above each name)
 
Business
Theresa Valade, President/CEO
Success Trek, Inc.
 
Construction
Tricia Hanrath, Safety Coordinator
Superior Construction Co., Inc.
 
Economic Development
Tina Rongers, President
Karnerblue Era, LLC
 
Education
Regina Biddings-Muro, Interim Vice Chancellor for Advancement
Purdue University Calumet
 
Finance
Jocelyn Hibshman, COO/Chief Compliance Officer
Lakeside Wealth Management Group
 
Government
Commissioner Nancy Adams 
Porter County Board of Commissioners
 
Healthcare
Cynthia Thompson, Patient Care Services Hammond Director
Franciscan Physician Hospital
 
Law
Dana Rifai, Attorney
Burke Costanza & Carberry LLP
 
Marketing/ Media
Brandi Anstine, Marketing & Special Events Director
Lakeshore Public Television & Radio
 
Nonprofit
Monique Ruiz, Administrator
Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce
 
Service/Tourism
Allyson Baughman, Marketing Director
Duneland Chamber of Commerce
 
About Influential Women of Northwest Indiana
Influential Women of Northwest Indiana is an organization devoted to providing women with the resources, recognition and motivation necessary to be successful in the business world. Each year, Influential Women of Northwest Indiana honors the area’s most successful women in eleven different industries, ranging from construction and healthcare to education and government.
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Read more: Local Influential Women Honored at Awards Ceremony

Valparaiso: As American’s older Veterans pass on, there are fewer and fewer ceremonies commemorating the great sacrifices of Americas heroes. ThisSaturday, May 25^th a festival will commemorate America’s greatest heroes under a majestic flag in front of Griegers on US 30 in Valparaiso. Valpo’s American Legion will provide a color guard ceremony and historical artifacts from WW II and other wars. After the 21 gun salute and taps is performed, Bill Wellman, Mayor Costas and Bill Hanna will say a few words. Wellman is a local hero and fought in the Battle of Okinawa. Wellman has been in the media recently for his initiative to have cities around the nation honor the war dead by playing taps each night at dusk. Many downtown restaurants, including don Quijote, Bon Femme, Tommy B’s and Margarita’s will serve food. The Northwest Indiana Jeepers will have a Jeep Show. The Jeepers will hopefully attract a younger generation to the festival.
“The torch of remembrance needs to be passed on,” said Brad Hallal of Griegers. “We hope this event will spark an interest with a new generation. Honoring America’s war dead should be considered a civic responsibility. We felt this festival would be an opportunity for Griegers to do right”
Many people misunderstand the meaning of Memorial Day. It is meant to honor America’s war dead. The purpose of the “Heritage of Heroes” event is to honor the nation’s war dead, preserve their memory and create awareness of their selfless service, bravery and sacrifice. This event will attempt to achieve this through displaying historical artifacts, ceremony, speakers, good food and fellowship.
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Read more: Festival to Honor US Service Members Tomorrow at Griegers

Three female juveniles from LaPorte, ages 15, 16, and 17, were taken into custody for disorderly conduct Thursday for fighting over a boy behind the LaPorte Little Ceaser's. LaPorte Police report they were dispatched just before 3pm, and advised en-route the involved parties were leaving the scene in a red Lincoln Towncar and a black BMW, but officers arrived in time to stop the vehicle from leaving the north side of business. All three girls were taken to the juvenile services center.
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Read more: 3 Juvenile Girls in Custody for Fight Behind LaPorte Business

The body of a 53 year old Highland man was found this morning at Highway Avenue and 1^st Street in Highland, on the railroad tracks, without a head. The Lake County Coroner's office reports Thomas Crnkovich died as a result of trauma to the neck, and his death has been ruled a suicide. The Coroner's Office reports an investigative team was dispatched at 7:20 this morning, and pronounced the man deceased at 8am.
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Read more: Highland Man Commits Suicide on Highland RR Tracks

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller today announced an agreement has been reached with Penguin Group Inc. to settle allegations that the book publisher colluded, along with other major publishers and Apple Inc., to manipulate prices in the E-book market. Zoeller says if approved by the U-S District Court, Indiana's consumers who purchased E-books published by Penguin will receive one-point-one-five million dollars in total refunds via their E-book accounts, as well as benefit from restored competitiveness within the E-book marketplace. Indiana has previously settled with four other publishers, and Zoeller says together, these five settlements will result in Indiana consumers receiving two-point-seven million dollars in refunds.
Indiana's antitrust action based on the same allegations against Apple Inc. remains pending, with a trial scheduled next month.
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Read more: Agreement Reached with Penguin for Price-Fixing and Collusion

Six members of the Latin Kings street gang were sentenced this week in Hammond Federal Court for racketeering conspiracy, along with a former Chicago Police officer. The indictments charge that the gang members were responsible for more than 20 murders, including the deaths of of two Latin Dragon members in Griffith in February of 2007. 42 year old Antonio Martinez Jr. was sentenced to 12 years in prison, and according to court records, committed armed robberies on behalf of the Latin Kings along with another officer, at times while in uniform and driving police-issued vehicles.
In total, 23 Latin King members and associates have been indicted in this case, with 14 having already been sentenced, and of the nine remaining, seven have pled guilty, one case was dismissed, and one is a fugitive.
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Read more: Six Latin King Gang Members Sentenced for Racketeering

The Cook County Sheriff's Department will be among a host of law enforcement agencies conducting enhanced enforcement efforts this Memorial Day weekend. Sheriff Tom Dart says deputies will be focusing on seat belt and DUI violators, and that officers will also be conducting extra patrols looking for all types of suspected violations. During the 2012 Memorial Day weekend, there were six fatalities, three of which were alcohol related, and almost 600 injuries on Illinois roadways, that according to provisional numbers from the Illinois Department of Transportation.
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Read more: Cook County Sheriff's Dept Conducting Holiday Enforcement

Police in LaPorte are reminding residents to never give out personal information over the phone or agree to send money in order to claim a prize after a 59 year old man reported being the victim of a telemarketing scam Thursday. Police say the man informed them that on Monday, a man who identified himself as “Walter Lopez” told the victim he was calling on behalf of Publisher's Clearing house, claiming the victim had won 250-thousand dollars and a new vehicle, but in order to claim the prize, he had to obtain a PayPal card in the amount of 350 dollars and call back with the card number as part of a service fee. The victim ended up doing this two more times to cover other so called “fees”, shelling out a total of 850 dollars before he called Publisher's Clearinghouse and learned no one from the business had contacted him and that they never ask prize winners to send money to claim winnings.
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Read more: LaPorte Man Victim of Telemarketing Scam

[Photo courtesy Barbara Hiestand]
We're told Lowell fire crews were on scene about two hours after responding to a fire involving multiple cars on a semi car-hauler on State Road 2 just east of I-65 in Lowell around 7-o'clock this morning. Flames and thick black smoke could be seen at the scene. Lowell was assisted by Hebron Fire. There were no immediate reports of any injuries, and there is no word on what caused the fire at this time
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Read more: Lowell Car-Hauler Fire

The Boy Scouts of America will no longer prohibit gay youths from participating. A vote on Thursday lifts the ban effective January of 2014. Gay adults remain barred from scout leadership.   The Boy Scouts of America councils of Chicagoland issued this statement regarding Thursday's decision:
Scouting's focus in Chicagoland remains to deliver the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. The information we have provided on this issue helped provide perspective to the process, and we respect the integrity of the national decision-making process. As leaders of Scouting in Chicagoland, we believe this update to our policy will allow all kids who sincerely want to be a part of Scouting to experience this life-changing program while remaining true to the long-standing virtues of Scouting. While people have different opinions about this policy, we can all agree that kids are better off when they are in Scouting.  We believe good people can disagree and still work together to accomplish great things for youth. Going forward, we will work to stay focused on that which unites us.
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Read more: Area Councils Comment on Scouts Decision