A dedication ceremony of the Quentin P. Smith Tuskegee Airman Memorial Bridge will be held tomorrow afternoon in Gary. Members of the Smith family will be present, along with numerous civic and business leaders from Gary and Northwest Indiana. The bridge dedication is part of the Gary/Chicago International Aiport's 166-million dollar expansion project. Officials report the new 11-point-six million dollar Airport Road overpass in Gary is now open to one lane of traffic in each direction, with all four lanes anticipated to be opened by July. The dedication takes place at 2:30 tomorrow afternoon, at the Gary/Chicago International Aiport Administration Building. Quentin Smith was a long-time Gary native, World War II hero, member of the renowned Tuskegee Airmen, educator, and recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal.
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Read more: Dedication Ceremony Tomorrow of Quentin P. Smith Bridge

We're learning now about anchor stores for a highly-anticipated development in Schererville at the corner of Main Street and US 41. Officials say some of the stores are scheduled to open in the spring of next year.
According to Regency Centers, Shops on Main will be anchored by fashion, footwear and home furnishings retailers, including Gordmans (50,079 square feet), Ross Dress for Less (25,069 square feet), HomeGoods (23,969 square feet) and DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse (18,361 square feet). Developed in conjunction with Boyer Properties, the first phase will include two shop buildings and five pads on 28 acres of the 35-acre site.
“We appreciate the support of the town of Schererville which is a proven retail market based upon historical sales,” said Nick Wibbenmeyer, vice president and regional officer for Regency Centers. “We’re excited to become an active member of the community by helping to create jobs. Shops on Main will reflect the key attributes that define a Regency center: market-leading anchors, prime location and enjoyable shopping environment.” Regency owns and operates 14 centers, totaling 1.8 million square feet, in the Chicago market.
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Read more: Shops on Main Anchors Announced

The MSD of Boone Township referendum asking residents to approve a property tax increase for Hebron schools failed by four votes, according to unofficial results from Tuesday's special election. Earlier, the Region News Team spoke to School Superintendent George Letz who said the district would be facing cuts without the increase.  "We will be faced with cutting nine classroom teachers if the referendum does not pass, and various instructional aides, and other support staff, " Letz told us before the special election, "and that's going to be very difficult".   You can hear more of our conversation here at our website at News Audio on Demand.

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Read more: What's Next for Hebron Schools?

The Lake County Coroners office says a 23-year-old East Chicago man suffered multiple gunshot wounds in a homicide in the 100 block of Butternut Street in East Chicago. Authorities say Carlos Velez the third was pronounced dead shortly before 11:15 last night at a local hospital emergency room. East Chicago Police are investigating.
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Read more: Homicide in East Chicago

Gov Pence Signs Steele’s Criminal Code Overhaul Bill: Pictured, from left to right at desk: Sen. Steele, Gov. Pence.
Indiana Governor Mike Pence has signed the first full-scale update to our state’s felony code in more than thirty years. House Enrolled Act 1006 requires offenders to serve at least 75 percent of their sentence as opposed to 50 percent under previous law. The measure also establishes a new sentencing system that divides felonies into six levels instead of four.   “Our criminal justice system cannot work effectively if it is not equitable and balanced, with prison resources focused on our most dangerous criminals,” said Bedord State Senator Brent Steele, a practicing attorney in Bedford. “I thank Gov. Pence for his support of the first full-scale update to our state’s felony code since the 1970s.”
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Read more: Governor Signs Felony Code Overhaul

Porter County Commissioners have approved spending an additional ninety-thousand dollars for maintenance at the Memorial Opera House in downtown Valparaiso. That brings the total cost of recent repairs stemming from water infiltration problems to 315-thousand dollars. The historic structure, built in 1893 as a memorial to Civil War veterans, continues to serve as a venue for local and national talent.
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Read more: Opera House Repairs Continue

Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, Glenda Ritz took time today, during National Teacher Appreciation Week, to visit and observe activities at schools in Lake and Porter counties.  According to her website, Superintendent Ritz stopped by the Hammond Area Career Center then toured the Porter County Career Center before wrapping up her day in Northwest Indiana at  a meet and greet at the Valparaiso Community Schools Administration Building. 
Addressing teachers, administrators and the media, the state's top teacher talked on several topics including alternatives to the ISTEP and IREAD exams to gauge student growth, as well as rules that hold back students who do not pass the exams.  The superintendent said she would like to utilize growth measures saying her office will have an outreach organization consisting of 13 coordinators in nine regions to help schools with their school improvement plans.  The Times reports that the outreach coordinators will be hired from the region they represent.
Superintendent Ritz said literacy is a prime concern of hers and will be implementing a program to combat this summer by empowering organizations like the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Clubs to provide reading in their summer programs.  The program is called "Hoosier Family of Readers," and Ritz says she will be kicking it off on May 10th from the school she used to teach at.
Ritz commented on the new law signed into law earlier this week by Governor Mike Pence that provide funding for officers in school saying that when it comes to project school children, the Department of Education leads the nation with security measures to protect students. 
The superintendent also received many questions from teachers and administrators alike and handled sensitive areas including the voucher program, when she said she is bound to carry out as part of her duties as state superintendent.  Ritz noted though clearly stated her position by stating that "public dollars should go to public schools."  She says due to current legislation, vouchers are paid for first before public schools, so in order to change that the change must happen through lawmakers.
Since it is National Teacher Appreciation Week, Superintendent Ritz said teachers need to be acknowledged more by educators as well as the community for the work they do in the classroom.   The following letter to teachers was posted on the Superintendent website:  http://www.ritz4ed.com.     You can hear the speech given by Superintendent Ritz's at the meet and greet in Valparaiso, it is available at News Audio On Demand at:  http://www.regionnewsteam.com  

A TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK MESSAGE FROM GLENDA TO EDUCATORS: 
Educators of Indiana,

In recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week, I wanted to take time to thank you for all that you do for the children and communities of Indiana. As a fellow classroom teacher, I know of the many hours you devote to your profession. 

Albert Einstein once said, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Teaching is both a science and an art; it takes both to inspire students to learn.

Enjoy you time with students…your brief moments with them can make lasting impressions.

I chose the theme “Imagining the possibilities. Making them happen” for my tenure because of what you do everyday in the classroom. Our focus for the next four years will be about positive approaches that will impact teaching and learning…sharing the great things you do in your schools! We will empower each other to provide what we know is best for our students.

Together, we will imagine the possibilities, and make them happen!

Know that you are appreciated.

Sincerely,
Glenda Ritz
Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction
  
Valparaiso Teachers Association and the Valparaiso Community Schools present State Superintendent of Public Education, Glenda Ritz (r) with flowers.

State Superintendent of Public Education, Glenda Ritz addresses a "standing room" only audience during the meet and greet at Valparaiso Community Schools Administration Building on Wednesday.

State Superintendent Glenda Ritz, emphasizes the point that there needs to be alternatives to the ISTEP and IREAD programs as well as rules to hold back students
(photos courtesy of Jay Stevens)
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Read more: State's Top Teacher Visits Schools in Northwest Indiana

(Governor Pence Signing SEA 343, Courtesy of Senator Head's Office)

(Gov Pence with Senator Becker for the Signing of SEA 554, Courtesy of Senator Becker's Office)
Along with the signing into law the jobs budget and updating Indiana's felony code, Governor Mike Pence also signed four other pieces of legislation into law Wednesday. Two of the four new laws were authored by State Senator Randy Head, of Logansport, one of which, Senate Enrolled Act 345, calls for a model plan for student restraint and seclusion in the rare instance when such actions would be necessary to protect students from harming themselves or others. Senator Head's other bill signed into law, Senate Enrolled Act 343, contains provisions to streamline the process of local government reorganization if political subdivisions choose to merge.
The other two bills signed into law was legislation sponsored by State Senator Vaneta Becker, of Evansville. Senate Enrolled Act 554 improves healthcare access for Indiana's residents by supporting new medical technologies, and requires reimbursing healthcare providers for tele-health and tele-medicine services offered to medicaid recipients. House Enrolled Act 1111 improves first responder action in emergency situations.
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Read more: Pence Signs School Safety Laws and Improvements to Healthcare

(Photos Courtesy of the Lake County Coroner's Office)

Lake County Coroner Merrilee Frey was the honored speaker on Saturday for the American Association of University Women's Spring Luncheon, and shared with them her mission to provide education for preventable infant deaths by providing safe sleeping patterns. Coroner Frey informed the organization that in Lake County, between 2011 and 2013, their were 43 infant death, 42-percent of which were related to the infant sleeping with a parent and/or not in a crib or bassinette. Frey says the organization has donated four pack and play sleeping cribs to the Lake County Child Fatality Review team, which review fatalities suspected to be the result of abuse or neglect.
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Read more: Coroner Frey Educates on Reducing Infant Deaths

(Photo Courtesy of the Office of State Senator Brent Steele)
Legislation updating Indiana's felony code for the first time in more than 30 years was signed into law today by Governor Mike Pence. House Enrolled Act 1006 is aimed at ensuring Indiana's criminal sentencing policies are fair and consistent for both victims and offenders. The new law divides felonies into six levels instead of four and puts tighter restrictions on the worst offenders' ability to get out of prison early, as offenders must now serve at least 75-percent of their sentence as opposed to 50-percent under the previous law. To view the sentencing reform proportionality chart, visit http://www.in.gov/legislative/senate_republicans/images/photogallery/Steele/Different%20format%20HB%201006%20Proportionality%20Chart.pdf.
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Read more: Indiana's Felony Code Overhaul Bill Signed into Law