Fire officials say they're investigating five suspicious fires within about a week's time in a residential area east of downtown Hammond, and they're asking for the public's help. Hammond Chief Fire Inspector Michael Opinker says he and members of the fire department were out this morning (Friday) reaching out to the neighborhood and handing out fliers.   Opinker says anyone who's seen anything suspicious can call the Hammond Fire Department, at 219-853-6419, and remain anonymous. Opinker says the fires all happened after midnight, within walking distance from each other, on State Street, Sibley and Erie, and three of them are believed to be connected -- those three, Opinker says, happened between 2:30 and 3:30 am. Opinker also says they usually have quite a few bystanders at fire scenes, but in these cases, there was hardly anyone around. Opinker says three occurred at abandoned houses, one was at an occupied residence but no one was home at the time, and another occurred with someone home and they got out safely.  Officials say there were no injuries. Opinker says two of the structures are expected to be torn down because of the fire damage.
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Read more: Officials Canvass Neighborhood for Help on Fires

Fire officials in Hammond are asking for the public's help as they investigate five fires in an area of the city west of the downtown since the end of March. Reports say most of the buildings have been vacant. Hammond Fire Chief Jeff Smith told us earlier this week that some of the fires have broken out around the same time, very early in the morning, around 3am. Officials say the fires have been on State Street, Sibley and Erie. No injuries have been reported.
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Read more: Public's Help Sought on Hammond Fires

The Newton County Sheriffs Office is investigating a fatal crash. Officers responded to a one-vehicle accident Thursday afternoon on State Road 16 near Iroquois River Road, and found the driver, 63-year-old Larry Strole of rural Brook, unconscious inside a pickup truck. Police say Strole was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Officials say it appeared the man's truck left the road for unknown reasons, struck a guard rail, utility pole, and came to rest against a tree.
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Read more: Fatal Crash in Newton County

The Indiana House is expected to vote Monday on legislation providing ten-million dollars in matching grants to help school corporations hire security officers – a measure that no longer includes a plan requiring 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'. Hammond State Representative Linda Lawson was among those who very much wanted that provision removed from Senate Bill 1. The revised bill instead creates a summer committee to examine the idea.
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Read more: Former School Guns Bill Heads for Vote

VALPARAISO, Ind. – The snow plows are barely off the roads but it’s time to think spring! Throughout the state of Indiana this month volunteers are strapping on safety vests and getting their hands dirty. They’re picking up trash as part of the Indiana Department of Transportation’s (INDOT) month-long “Trash Bash” for Adopt-A-Highway groups. The annual Trash Bash coincides with National Earth Day to join in the fight against littering on Indiana roads and highways.
On Saturday, April 13^th volunteers from Valparaiso University will do their part by picking up trash on U.S. 30 near Sturdy Road, near Valparaiso University. Volunteers will be along this stretch beginning after 12:30 p.m. The media is welcome to visit their work site. Volunteers will be available to talk about their hard work to keep Indiana’s Highways looking great.
In 2012, nearly 2,300 Adopt-A-Highway volunteers, along with INDOT crews and the Indiana Department of Correction (DOC), removed 15,812 bags of trash from 3,367 miles of state road and right-of-ways. Adopt-A-Highway volunteers logged more than 4,831 hours of hard work in that time.
Everyone is encouraged to clean up and prevent litter on Indiana’s highways:
·         Don’t litter: Set a good example for everyone, especially children.
·         Be responsible: Carry a trash bag in your car instead of tossing trash out the window.
·         Report it: Report areas where people have illegally dumped garbage.
·         Adopt it: If you are involved in a civic group, scouting organization or sports program, encourage the groups to adopt-a-highway. Visit http://www.in.gov/indot/2598.htm for details or contact the INDOT LaPorte District toll free at 1-855-GO-INDOT.
For the latest news on Trash Bash, in addition to INDOT project updates and road restrictions, like us at www.Facebook.com/INDOTNorthwest and follow us at 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: Valpo University Volunteers Picking Up Trash Tomorrow

The weather today has caused the postponement of the circus scheduled for this afternoon and evening at the Porter County Expo Center and Fairgrounds. Office Manager Debbie Garner says the Circus Pages performance maybe rescheduled for sometime in May, but at this time nothing has been set in stone.
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Read more: Circus Postponed at Porter County Expo and Fairgrounds

INDIANAPOLIS—It is an uncomfortable topic that people often don’t want to discuss; however, sexual violence affects many Hoosiers and it’s time to start the conversation about how to prevent it. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and aims to educate individuals about sexual violence prevention. This year’s theme is “It’s time…to talk about it.” 
“Even one person impacted by sexual violence is too many,” said State Health Commissioner William VanNess, M.D. “Sexual violence is a public health issue and as such there are evidence-based interventions that can be applied to help prevent it. It’s going to take the collaborative effort of the entire community, including the State and local health departments, schools, faith-based organizations and community groups to move the dial in the right direction.”
In Indiana, one in five women will be victims of sexual violence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly three in ten women and one in ten men will be victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner. Youth also feel the impact as nearly 15 percent of young women and five percent of young men have been physically forced to have sexual intercourse in their lifetime.
The Indiana State Department of Health Sexual Violence Prevention Program is working to stop this violence before it starts. Working with Indiana’s Sexual Violence Primary Prevention Council, whose members are from around the state, the program partnered with the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University and the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction in releasing the Sexual Violence Primary Prevention Policy Brief. This brief focuses on primary prevention and the state of sexual violence laws and policies in Indiana. Read the brief at www.in.gov/isdh/23820.htm.
In response to issues raised in the brief, WFIU/WTIU Bloomington created a documentary examining sexual violence among Indiana's youth. The documentary aims to educate people on sexual violence and encourages prevention efforts. View the documentary for free online at http://indianapublicmedia.org/news/special-features/shadows-of-innocence/video/
You can help prevent abuse. State health officials offer the following tips:
·         Be a role model by treating your kids and others with respect. Start talking to your kids about healthy relationships early, before they start dating.
·         Provide age-appropriate and accurate responses to questions about healthy and developmentally expected sexual development as children grow and learn.
·         Attend an awareness event during April, like the Indiana Coalition Against Sexual Assault balloon release at the Indiana Statehouse on April 23. Get more information on this and other events statewide at www.womenshealth.isdh.in.gov.
·         Promote boundaries and respect privacy. Practice respectful boundaries when it comes to touch and affection by not forcing hugs or other touch.
·         Learn what you can do as an active bystander when you see an instance of sexual violence. Visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s (NSVRC) Bystander Intervention resource page to learn more at http://nsvrc.org/.
If you find yourself in a threatening situation, focus on getting out safely and then tell someone what happened. If you have suffered physical or sexual abuse, go to an emergency department immediately for an examination.  
To learn more about the efforts happening in Indiana, visit www.womenshealth.isdh.in.gov.
For more information about sexual violence prevention, visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center at http://nsvrc.org/.
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Read more: April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

(Photo Courtesy of the Times)
Today's Times reports Ed Asner is feeling fit, and ready to continue his one-man FDR show. The actor had to be hospitalized during a performance in Gary last month for exhaustion. According to the article, a makeup date has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 23^rd, at the Wirt Emerson V-P-A Theater Auditorium, in Gary, at 7pm, and all tickets from the previous show will be honored.
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Read more: Asner's One Man FDR Show to Return to Gary

A bill to expand vision testing at Indiana schools has passed the General Assembly and now heads to the Governor's desk. Senate Bill 553 would expand vision testing to students entering 5^th grade, as well as establishing new standards for testing, like having a licensed optometrist perform the eye exams. The current law only requires annual vision screenings for students entering kindergarten or 1^st, 3^rd and 8^th grade.
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Read more: Bill to Expand Vision Testing in School Heads to Gov's Desk

Overnight lane restrictions are scheduled to begin Sunday night for both east and westbound I-94, between the State Road 249 exit and the State Road 51/Indiana Toll Road exit. INDOT reports the lane restrictions will begin no earlier than 9pm, and end no later than 5am, and will continue until this phase of the bridge rehabilitation project over U.S. 20 is completed, which is anticipated for this fall.
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Read more: I-94 Lane Restrictions Begin Sunday Night