Post-Tribune

A former Post-Tribune reporter accused of stealing $18,100 from the newsroom employee union officially entered a guilty plea Thursday in federal court in South Bend. Earlier this month, an attorney for Karen Snelling, 50, filed a guilty plea petition, a reversal of her initial not-guilty plea. In court, Snelling admitted to withdrawing the money through a series of unauthorized automatic teller ... Full Story »

One Hoosier died last week in what state health officials concede is a declining H1N1 flu pandemic. For six consecutive weeks Indiana State Department of Health surveillance around the state found decreasing percentages of patients seeking treatment for flu-like symptoms in emergency rooms (2.7 percent) and doctors' offices (4.2 percent). "We're very confident what our data are telling is what ... Full Story »

More than $6.8 million in federal projects will be coming to Northwest Indiana for infrastructure, law enforcement and education, U.S. Rep. Peter Visclosky said Thursday. In a news release Visclosky said that he secured $6.825 million for projects in Lake and Porter counties through the Fiscal Year 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The House passed the conference report Thursday and the ... Full Story »

VALPARAISO -- The city is taking a first, formal step in claiming a downtown bank's Lincolnway parking lot under eminent domain. The land would be used to increase the size of the planned downtown park. City attorney Patrick Lyp received permission from the Board of Works and Safety on Thursday to offer Fifth Third Bank $140,000 for the parking lot on the southeast corner of Lincolnway and ... Full Story »

Roosevelt Powell could trade his orange Metropolitan Correctional Center jumpsuit for his own street clothes and be home in time for Christmas . On a frigid afternoon in which most of the courtroom audience remained in winter coats, U.S. District Judge Philip Simon showed mercy toward Powell, 67, the convicted former Lake County tax collector. At a federal hearing Thursday Simon resentenced ... Full Story »

Four Northwest Indiana communities are getting extra road work from federal stimulus money because of more low bids from work-hungry contractors on state highway projects, a regional planning official said Thursday. Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission transportation planner Gary Evers reported to the agency's executive board on Wednesday's contract awarding by the Indiana ... Full Story »

HOBART -- The Plan Commission tabled action concerning a proposed CVS Pharmacy at U.S. 51 and U.S. 6 Thursday night, as concerns over sidewalks, fencing, landscaping and other issues were aired. Commission member Stuart Allen requested that the existing 6-foot chain-link fence with barbed wire at the Jansen's market site be replaced with decorative fencing, or chain-link fencing with slats to to ... Full Story »

PORTAGE -- Danielle Komenda works as a server at a Merrillville restaurant and is going to school to become an occupational therapist. If that weren't enough, she's raising four children -- Noah, 10; Nate, 8; Josiah, 3; and Jada, 1 -- on her own. She is grateful for the assistance of the Post-Tribune's Empty Stocking Fund to help provide Christmas gifts for her children this year. Last year, the ... Full Story »

HAMMOND -- The Class of 2009 Legends of Northwest Indiana represent aspects of the region not previously acknowledged. An Ivy League educator from humble inner-city beginnings, a farmer whose dream it was to make the perfect popcorn and an astronaut who's tied for the most walks in outer space took their places on the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority wall after a Thursday evening ... Full Story »

A Thursday story about Schererville giving town employees bonuses should have said bonuses would depend on the town's financial status and a 0.5 percent per quarter maximum. Each quarter, Clerk-Treasurer Janice Malinowski would analyze the town's finances and recommend a 0 percent to 0.5 percent bonus for approval The council will vote on the measure Dec. 30. ... Full Story »

Lester and Marquia Johnson, of Gary's Glen Park neighborhood, lost more than a car Wednesday night when someone stole their silver 2006 Ford Taurus from a service station at 45th and Broadway in Gary.They lost Buttercup and Yogi, their two small dogs who were in the backseat when Lester Johnson went into to pay for his gas during the frigid evening. Yogi is a black/brown shih tzu and Buttercup ... Full Story »

Winter has officially blasted its way into Northwest Indiana, with chilly and blustery conditions in the forecast today. The National Weather Service doesn't expect temperatures to go above 17 degrees. The wind will be blowing between 15 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph, and wind chill may approach 15 below zero. Night temperatures may plunge to about 10 degrees. Colder temperatures could lead ... Full Story »

A local military member is suing the Mansards Apartment complex for evicting her after she told them she was being activated for duty, according to a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Hammond. Ciearra Pulliam claims in the lawsuit that she received notice on Oct. 23 that she would be sent to Wisconsin from Oct. 26 to Nov. 18. According to the lawsuit, Pulliam notified Mansards and was ... Full Story »

The headline on a story about accused murderer Kevin Isom should not have said he is on trial. ... Full Story »

A Chicago man was killed Wednesday afternoon when his car crashed into a bridge abutment beneath the Skyway in Chicago near the Indiana border.Benjamin Joseph Nelson, 73, died of blunt force trauma to the body, according to the Lake County Coroner's office. Nelson lived in the 10400 block of South Avenue J in Chicago.Nelson was taken to Saint Margaret Mercy Hospital in Hammond for treatment. He ... Full Story »

A former Merrillville doctor accused of insurance fraud is going back into federal custody. Judge Andrew Rodovich signed an order Wednesday for U.S. marshals to pick up Dr. Jihad Kasim from the Porter County Jail next week and for him to remain in custody, according to a filing with the U.S. District Court in Hammond. Kasim, who is charged with health care fraud, is accused of bilking more than ... Full Story »

GARY -- In February, Troil Powers lost her job. She was the assistant manager/leasing clerk for a Miller neighborhood apartment complex for a year. The building went into receivership and, when a new owner took over, Powers found herself out of work. Before that, the Gary mother of six worked for two years at a local restaurant. Being unemployed is hard on Powers and her children: Seandell, 17 ... Full Story »

A large amount of drugs and money was discovered Monday during a routine traffic stop in LaPorte County. Trooper Anthony Potesta stopped a 2009 Chrysler mini-van on the Indiana Toll Road near the LaPorte/Saint Joseph county line for a moving violation at about 1:15 p.m. Monday. According to a press release, Potesta realized after talking to the driver, Tomasz Stanislaw Harasim, 26, a Polish ... Full Story »

Rex Richards, president of the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce, said he was heartened by President Obama's proposal's for small businesses but wanted to hear more details. "It's always good to hear the government wants to cut taxes," Richards said. However, he wants to know how much those taxes are, Richards said. He also pointed to other tax changes, such as allowing small businesses to expense ... Full Story »

New toxic release data from EPA shows Lake County industries released the ninth-most pollution in the nation in 2008 -- more than 31.5 million pounds. The high ranking comes despite a 31.1 percent reduction in releases from Lake County industrial plants compared to 2007. The data, self-reported by the industries to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 's Toxics Release Inventory, also shows ... Full Story »

A spokesman for the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District said Tuesday proposed federal railroad safety legislation doesn't apply to South Shore passenger operations. Marketing Director John Parsons said he received a copy of an analysis of the proposed bill, entitled "Public Transportation Safety Program Act of 2009," from a Washington-based railroad trade group. According to ... Full Story »

A continuing lethargic economy coupled with Cline Avenue construction has put a dent in revenues at the four casinos along that stretch in November. The two Majestic Star Casinos saw a 12 percent decline from November of last year to this November, Horseshoe Hammond had a 13 percent drop and Ameristar had a 15 percent slide in revenues, according to Larry Buck, senior vice president and general ... Full Story »

GARY-- The Indiana Department of Transportation is seeking public input on a Miller area bridge replacement project tentatively scheduled for 2012. The notice is being made to collect any historical information about a 150-foot section of the U.S. 12 bridge that spans the CSX railroad just east of Old Hobart Road, said spokesman Joshua Bingham. The section is north and east of the American ... Full Story »

Bencie, Louis, 70 Crown Point Brown, Harold, 88 Morocco Carter, Dorothy, 84 Merrillville Chaddock, James, 82 Beverly Shores Collins, Steve, 58 Ogden Dunes Conner-Steuer, Bernice, 83 Crown Point Cotten, Judith, 68 Hobart Crossley, Terry, 58 Gary Erwin, Robert, 46 Gary Gee, Cleveland, 91 Gary Guy-Walters, Pearline, 72 Gary Hill, Novella, 70 Gary Niksich, Anthony, 84 Hobart Nuest, Lester, 96 Kouts ... Full Story »

It appears Gary will once again be the only city petitioning an Indiana tax appeals board for relief from statewide property tax caps. Gary's 2010 petition to the Indiana Distressed Unit Appeals Board arrived Tuesday, staff confirmed. It wasn't a surprise, as predictions show the caps will cut Gary's revenue in half next year. The tax caps go into full effect in 2010, though, and the absence of ... Full Story »