The Indiana Department of Transportation says the closure of the U.S. 6 bridge between Tracy Road and Meadowbrook Boulevard in Kingsford Heights beginning on Wednesday, April 24th. The closure, which is south of La Porte, is located between the east and west U.S. 6 junctions with U.S. 35. The structure will be closed to all traffic until the new bridge opens in October. A detour will take eastbound U.S. 6 traffic south on State Road 39, east in U.S. 30, north on U.S. 35, and back to U.S. 6. Westbound U.S. 6 will travel south on U.S. 35, west on U.S. 30, north on State Road 39, and back to U.S. 6.  INDOT reminds drivers to use caution and consider worker safety when driving through a construction zone. For the latest road closures and news from INDOT, visit www.Facebook.com/INDOTNorthwest  or www.Twitter.com/INDOTNorthwest .  You can find traffic restriction information at www.trafficwise.IN.gov.  Contact the LaPorte District toll free at 1-855-GO-INDOT.
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Read more: US 6 Closure for Bridge Work

Indiana’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged in March at 8-point-7 percent, halting a recent upward trend. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development says the state  saw the first decline in jobs in over a year, about 11-thousand private sector jobs over the past month, most in the Trade, Transportation and Utilities sector, possible evidence they say of some uncertainty in the market and the recent unseasonable weather. Officials also said Indiana experienced another month of increase in manufacturing jobs, production hours and durable goods production employment, all of which they say may point to sustained growth and future expansion potential.
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Read more: Indiana Jobless Rate Unchanged

The town of Griffith is a step closer to joining a new township, and Schererville State Representative Hal Slager says he's pleased House Bill 1585 is going to the Governor's desk. The measure will allow the town of Griffith to vote by referendum to opt out of Calumet Township in Lake County if certain conditions are not met by the township by 2015. Griffith has been trying to leave the township for years, saying their residents send significantly more to the township in tax dollars than they receive in return. Slager says the township's poor relief tax rate is 22-times higher than the state average. Under the bill, the township will have a year to lower that to 12-times the statewide average, and if unable
the Department of Local Government will classify the township as a Distressed Political Subdivision. By 2015, if the tax rate is not at a minimum of 12 times the statewide average then the referendum process will begin.  Current law prohibits a town or city to remove itself from a township or apply to join a new township by referendum.
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Read more: Region Lawmaker Pleased with Secession Bill

Police say two people had to be extricated from a vehicle in a two-car crash Thursday night that also injured four others in Hobart. The collision occurred on the frontage road in front of a bowling alley on US 30 around 9:30, reports say. No word on the injured's conditions.
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Read more: Two-Car Accident Injures Six

The town of Dyer is moving forward on instituting a 'quiet zone' at the Hart Street railroad crossing. A contractor's been hired to make the changes required,like a specially-designed gate. Another quiet zone is planned on Lake Street. The rail company covering the cost. The Federal Railway Authority in a designated quiet zone, railroads have been directed to cease the routine sounding of their horns when approaching public highway-rail grade crossings.
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Read more: Dyer Quiet Zones Ahead

Flood warnings continue along rivers in Northwest Indiana, like the Little Calumet River in Munster and Kankakee River at Shelby, near Kouts and at Dunns Bridge. While the rain has stopped, flooding is still a concern along a number of rivers in the Midwest as floodwaters continued to rise. ABC's Todd Ant reports flood fighters were busy all day Friday from small Mississippi River hamlets to the suburbs of Chicago trying to hold back raging rivers, after days of torrential rains soaked much of the Midwest.  Mississippi river communities in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri are expected to see significant flooding -- some near-record levels.  The Morton Arboretum in Illinois will remain closed to the public Saturday and Sunday, April 20-21, 2013, due to extensive flooding. The Arboretum has been closed since Thursday, April 18.
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Read more: Flooding Still a Concern

Customers were evacuated for a time last night by employees at the Valparaiso Walmart, after the store reportedly received a bomb threat. Valparaiso Police responded and checked the store. No other information available at this hour.
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Read more: Store Evacuated Friday Night

Cheers throughout the Boston area with the arrest of the second suspect in this week's deadly bombings.  The 19 year old ethnic Chechen wanted in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings - the younger brother of the man killed in a police shootout -- - was captured alive in Watertown, Massachusetts Friday evening. The suspect was taken into custody here after a lenghty manhunt that virtually shut down the city and an intense firefight: "One of the officers said to me that there was a huge explosion when they first encountered the suspect and were exchanging gunfire - he said, then the second explosions weren't as powerful so I just kept shooting,"  Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis. ABC News reports Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is in the hospital after he was found hiding in a backyard boat.
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Read more: Boston Bombing Suspect in Custody

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (April 14th-20th) is an opportunity to recognize the women and men who serve as public safety dispatchers. They are the calming voice at the other end of an emergency 911 call and the provider of critical information over the radio to Police, Fire, and EMS responders. Heard but rarely seen, these dedicated professionals are an often forgotten component of public safety.
Telecommunicators Week began in California in 1981 and quickly grew to national recognition. Just ten years later, Congress designated the second full week of each April as a time to remember the important role that dispatchers play in keeping us all safe.
Porter County is served by a Central Dispatch Center (C-Comm) that employs 48 full-time and part-time Telecommunicators. Eight police departments, 18 fire departments, and 1 EMS agency are dispatched from the center. Over 175,000 911 and non-emergency calls were handled in 2012.
Throughout this week the Telecommunicators of Porter County C-Comm will be honored by the Police, Fire, and EMS agencies they dispatch. Telecommunicator Service Awards will be presented by John M. Jokantas, Director of Communications, at the Porter County Board of Commissioner’s meeting on Tuesday, April 16th at 1pm. A special Years of Service Award will be presented to Kathy Sepiol, who recently retired after 35 years at Porter County.
“It’s important to remember the women and men who work in our 911 Center. They are often referred to as the “Hidden Heroes”. You can see a police car, you can see fire trucks and ambulances, but you don’t ever see the person who is taking the calls. Our Telecommunicators are a dedicated group who want nothing more than to help those in their time of need.” said Jokantas.

Central Communications Center, Porter County
( provided by:  http://www2.porterco.org)
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Read more: National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

Indiana Conservation Officers are staying busy in parts of west central Indiana today dealing with vehicle in flood water on many roadways, and as a result are warning the public of the dangers associated with driving through flooded waters. The Indiana Department of Resources reports many closing, restrictions, and warnings at a few D-N-R properties across the state, including at the Kankakee Fish and Wildlife in North Judson where Ten-mile Road is closed.
A complete list of D-N-R properties affected:
J.E. Roush Fish & Wildlife Area, Huntington, (260) 468-2165
—Kil-So-Quah campground and boat ramp will be closed for several days, until further notice.
—Shooting range remains open until further notice, depending on county road access.
—Turkey hunting will take place as scheduled. Road closures to lower areas may require hunters to walk farther and a few flooded areas will not be accessible.
—Hunters should take extreme caution if wading.
 
Raccoon State Recreation Area, Rockville, (765) 344-1884
—The Hollandsburg and main Raccoon boat ramps are open; all other ramps are closed.
Wabashiki FWA, West Terre Haute, (812) 659-9901
—North of Interstate 70, 90 percent flooded; south of I-70, 70 percent flooded.
Kankakee FWA, North Judson, (574) 896-3522
—10-mile Road is closed.
 
Muscatatuck Healthy Rivers INitiative project area (812) 346-5596
—State Road 256 West from Austin may be closed overnight.
Fairbanks Landing FWA, Fairbanks, (812) 659-9901
—Lower bottom land areas are flooded along County Road 1200 N
 
Chain O’Lakes State Park, Albion, (260) 636-2654
—Some trails are closed due to high water.  The Indiana Trail 100 race will be held as planned this weekend; however, a portion may be re-routed.
 
Shades State Park, Waveland, (765) 435-2810 & Turkey Run State Park, Marshall, (765) 597-2635
—The trails may remain closed this weekend due to high water. Even if the creek’s level goes down overnight, trail access points may remain a challenge.
 
Mississinewa Lake, Peru, (765) 473-6528
—Warning of potential “high water” over recreation roads and parking areas. Boat launching may be difficult due to the inability to turn around on water covered ramps.  Users must back down the ramps to load and unload their boats. The Youth Turkey Hunt will still be held as planned. 
Residents that live or travel through areas prone to flooding should use extreme caution and follow these simple tips.
• Never drive around barricades at water covered roadways.
• Do not drive through flowing water.
• Drive with care at night. This is when it may be difficult to see barricades or flowing water.
• If you choose to abandon your vehicle, prepare for the fast moving water and seek higher ground immediately.
• Always travel with a fully charged cell phone.
• Turn Around Don’t Drown
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Read more: DNR Properties Affected by Flooding and Flood Driving Tips