Law enforcement agencies in the region are remembering their fallen brethern this month. This morning, the Lowell Post of the Indiana State Police held their annual memorial service to pay homage to their employees who have given their lives in the service of the citizens of Indiana. On May 17^th, the Lake County Sheriff's Department will hold their memorial service, at the department's Memorial Gardens, located directly east of the Sheriff's Department building. The service is scheduled to begin at 10am, and will last approximately 20 minutes.
# # #...

Read more: Remembering and Honoring Fallen Police Officers

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Governor Mike Pence has declared the week of May 5-11 as Building Safety Week, and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) is reminding Hoosiers how building inspections help with Hoosier safety.
The Fire and Building Safety Division of IDHS is responsible for inspecting hundreds of public structures a year, including schools, child care centers, nursing homes, hospitals, restaurants and hotels.
“Building safety and fire prevention officials, architects, engineers and all those in the construction industry, work year-round to ensure the places we live, learn, work, worship and play are safe,” said Dean Illingworth of IDHS’s Division of Fire and Building Safety. “Countless lives have been saved due to the implementation of building and fire safety codes by state and local code officials.”
Building codes address all aspects of construction, from structural to fire prevention, plumbing and mechanical systems, and energy efficiency. To ensure buildings are safe requires the active participation of code officials, fire inspectors, architects, builders, engineers, contractors and others in the construction industry, as well as property owners.
Hoosiers can make the places they live safer by taking simple steps. A few are:
•        Install smoke alarms outside sleeping areas on each level of your home.
•        Test your smoke alarm each month and change the batteries at least once a year.
•        Develop a family action plan for a disaster, and include an escape plan from every room in the house in case of a fire.
•        Use surge protective devices to protect electronic appliances.
•        Routinely check the condition of electrical appliances and wiring for damage.
•        To avoid damage and injuries during an earthquake, hang heavy items such as pictures and mirrors away from beds, couches, or anywhere people sit, and store breakable items such as bottled foods, glass, and china, in low, closed cabinets with latches.
Building Safety Week is part of a larger National Building Safety Month.  This year’s theme is Code Officials Keep You Safe. Each week of Building Safety Month spotlights a specific area of building safety: Fire Safety and Awareness, May 6‐12; Disaster Safety and Mitigation, May 13‐19; Backyard and Pool Safety, May 20‐26; and Energy and Green Building, May 27‐31.
You can view the Governor’s proclamation at GetPrepared.IN.gov.
# # #
 ...

Read more: Pence Declares This Week Building Safety Week

Governor's Portrait, Otis R. Bowen, painted 1978; Artist: Everett Raymond Kinstler
Indiana Governor Mike Pence is encouraging Hoosiers from around the state to pay tribute to former Governor Otis R. Bowen by signing condolence books at a Statehouse memorial Wednesday and Thursday. Visitors will also have the opportunity to view former Governor Bowen's portrait and bust and learn more about his career and extensive background in public service.
 
"A dynamic leader, Governor Otis R. Bowen made innumerable contributions to the state in the areas of taxes, healthcare and government administration," said Governor Pence. "I invite Hoosiers from all corners of Indiana to visit his public memorial to pay tribute to this tremendous Hoosier and public servant."
Governor Pence will lay a wreath at the memorial tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. EDT. The memorial will be open to the public during Statehouse hours, 8:00 a.m. EDT to 5:00 p.m. EDT, on Wednesday, May 8, and Thursday, May 9. Doors open to the Statehouse at 7:30 a.m. EDT.   Bowen served as Indiana's Governor January 9, 1973-January 13, 1981.
 Former Governor Bowen's wake will take place in Bremen at St. Paul's Lutheran Church from 11:00 to 3:00 on Wednesday, May 8, and from 4:00 to 8:00 on Thursday, May 9.
###

 ...

Read more: Statehouse Memorial for Governor Bowen

[http://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm
The fee for camping at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore's Dunewood Campground goes up to $18 this Thursday (May 9). The increase of three-dollars a night was approved by the National Park Service to cover the cost of adding municipal water to the campground. A new waterline was installed last year and went into service earlier this spring.
National Park officials say the new water system will improve the quality and reliability of the water supply compared to the previous well system and increases the capacity of hydrants to provide fire protection.
Before approving the increase, the National Park Service solicited public comment and received no negative comments. Surveys of comparable campgrounds in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan were also conducted and found that prices ranged from $19.00 - $29.50.
###

...

Read more: Dunewood Campground Fee Goes Up

Water on an Indiana farm field following frequent rains in April. (Purdue Agricultural Communication photo/Tom Campbell)
In a year's time, Hoosier farmers have gone from one weather extreme to another.... last year, a drought... this year, too wet. As farmers look to have at the latest, corn in the ground by about the middle of June, Purdue Extension Agronomist Bob Nielsen says that is actuallly plenty of time to get a lot accomplished in time for the growing season. "On a good week, we can plant somewhere around thirty-percent of the state's crop in a single week, " Nielsen said. "Over four weeks time we certainly hope that we can get everything in the ground during that time."
But right now, Hoosiers farmers are way behind what would be a more typical planting schedule.   Nielsen, Purdue Extension corn specialist, says only one-percent of Indiana's corn crop was planted by the week ending April 28, compared to 67-percent last year... and the latest report out this week stills shows only eight-percent planted, compared to last year, when over eighty-percent of the crop had been planted.
"Over the past few years, in the even-numbered years we've had early planting, and in the odd-numbered years we've had late planting," he noted. This year, it's been so slow that it is among the five slowest years for spring planting in the past 20, Nielsen said.  Purdue officials say Indiana had the seventh-wettest April on record, with a statewide average of 6.4 inches of precipitation - nearly 3 inches above normal.
You can hear our interview with Bob Nielsen here at our website at News Audio on Demand.
###...

Read more: Wet Fields Delay Planting

The City of East Chicago is holding their second Waterfront Revitalization Initiative Public Meeting this evening at the East Chicago Public Library (Tue May 07 5:30pm -8pm). Residents are asked to take a few minutes to complete the 'Waterfront Survey' available at the city website's home page. The revitalization effort in East Chicago was initiated with the help of a seven million dollar grant from the Regional Development Authority.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013, 5:30 pm at East Chicago Public Library
5:30 pm to 6:00 pm—Open Viewing
6:00 pm to 6:15 pm—Opening Remarks
6:15 pm to 7:15 pm—Lakef ront Revitalization Initiative Presentation
7:15 pm to 8:00 pm—Public Input
East Chicago website's home pae:  www.eastchicago.com
###...

Read more: EC Waterfront Meeting

[Graphic provided]
Indiana was ranked as the best place to do business in the Midwest and the fifth best nationwide in a survey of more than five-hundred CEO's by Chief Executive magazine. The magazine's ninth annual "Best & Worst States" survey asks chief executives to evaluate states based on business tax policies, regulation, workforce quality and livability factors. Indiana has moved up eleven places on the main list since 2010. Illinois ranked near the bottom, at 48^th.   Among the other neighboring states, Kentucky ranked 29^th, Ohio ranked 22^nd, and Michigan ranked 44th.    Chief Executive magazine is a bi-monthly publication for top management executives published by the Chief Executive Group LLC. Founded in 1977, the Chief Executive Group LLC is headquartered in Greenwich, Conn. The "Best & Worst States," survey results are available at http://chiefexecutive.net/best-worst-states-for-business-2013
###...

Read more: Indiana Among Best for Business

There's a signing ceremony this afternoon for Indiana's new school safety bill. Indiana Governor Mike Pence will put his signature to Senate Enrolled Act One, legislation providing ten-million dollars in matching grants to help school corporations hire security officers. [1 pm Eastern]
Controversy had surrounded the measure, then lawmakers removed a plan to require all public and charter schools to have at least one person armed with a gun, to protect against school shootings. If they didn't have an officer, for instance, a school employee would have been armed to serve as a 'school protection officer'. The revised bill instead creates a summer committee to examine the idea.
On Monday, Governor Pence signed a measure that strengthens penalties for B and C felonies, computer crimes, sex crimes and hazing... and another meant to provide a 'clean slate' on certain nonviolent offenses to give people with a criminal past a “second chance,” the Governor says, and a stronger chance of finding work.
###...

Read more: Governor to Sign School Safety Bill

2013 is a 'non-election' year for Indiana as far as public offices are concerned... but that doesn't mean Hoosiers won't be going to the ballot here in the Region and elsewhere in the state. Today (Tue May 07) a handful of Indiana school districts will hold referendums, and locally they include Munster, Metropolitan School District of Boone Township in Hebron, the Wheeler/Union Township Schools, and Knox Community Schools in Starke County. Region voters in the districts with referendums are being asked to say yes or no to a property tax increase to raise funds for the schools; the Knox ballot question specifically is construction referendum for the school district. You can hear interviews with superintendents from each of the school districts with referendums in Northwest Indiana here at our website at News Audio on Demand.  Polls are open from 6 am to 6 pm. 
May 7, 2013 Special Elections
- Barr-Reeve Community Schools (Daviess County)
- Hamilton Southeastern Schools (Hamilton County)
- Noblesville Schools (Hamilton County)
- City of Vincennes Parks & Recreation Department (Knox County)
- Munster School Referendum (Lake County)
- Metropolitan School District of Boone Township (Porter County)
- Union Township School Corporation (Porter County)
- Knox Community Schools (Starke County)
###...

Read more: Special Elections in the Region

The Lake County Council voted four-to-three Monday to approve a one-and-a-half percent local income tax. Now it goes before the Lake County Commissioners, who are expected to consider it at a special meeting this Friday [May 10th, at 8:30am.] If commissioners veto it, as two of the three have already said they plan on doing, the county council could override that, but it would take a super-majority, so at least five yes votes would be needed. Lake County is the only county in the state without a local income tax.
###...

Read more: Council Approves Lake Tax