Authorities say ice and snow covered roads do not appear to be a factor in a fatal crash at U-S 31 and 4A Road in Marshall County this morning. Indiana State Police, Bremen Post, report a preliminary investigation revealed 86 year old Alice Garner, of Plymouth, was heading east on 4A Road, and was attempting to cross southbound U-S 31, when for an unknown reason, she pulled into the path of an oncoming jeep. Authorities report Garner suffered a severe head injury and was transported to St....

A boil order remains in effect for businesses along portions of 133^rd Avenue and Industrial Drive in Cedar Lake. Ian Nicolini, Town Administrator, says a water break was discovered Wednesday on the south side of 133^rd Avenue, the leak was isolated, and service shut off. Nicolini says the city repaired the main Thursday morning, and the boil order was issued thereafter. He says the first sample has been sent out for examination, and pending those results passing, the boil order could be lifted...

St. John, Dyer and Schererville are working with Lake Central schools to assign a student resource police officer at the high school this upcoming school year. Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller was in St. John Thursday to congratulate the Tri-Town communities on their cooperative effort. A federal COPS grant will help place a St. John officer in that role, and the three towns and the school district are contributing funds under an interlocal agreement.
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A plant in Plymouth has told the state it will likely close, and nearly ninety people will be losing their jobs. According to the federal "WARN" --Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice -- filed with Indiana's Department of Workforce Development, the Whitley Products fabricated pipe and pipe manufacturing facility in Marshall County could start shutting down in April.
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VALPO AND HOBART EMISSIONS SITES CLOSED SATURDAY
Due to unforeseen circumstances the Clean Air Car Check emissions testing sites in Valparaiso and Hobart will be closed on Saturday, February 23, 2013. The program’s other five stations will observe normal operating hours which are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The testing sites that will remain open on Saturday are located at:
• 5777 Melton Rd., Portage
• 755 N. Industrial Blvd., Crown Point
• 3901 W. Fourth Ave., Gary
• 232 Ivanhoe Ct. South, Griffith
• 1231 G...

The Indiana Senate unanimously approved a proposal by Hammond State Senator Frank Mrvan that aims to protect victims of child abuse. Mrvan says Senate Bill 142 would nearly double the amount of time that victims of child abuse have to file civil action or criminal prosecution for certain sexual offenses. Mrvan says doing so would give victims time to mature, leave the dependency of the offender, and "get more courage" . The measure now moves to the House for further consideration.
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The annual coroners report for Porter County was released this week, and twenty-percent of coroners office cases last year involved suicide – County Coroner Chuck Harris says that's an "astonishing" figure.  The number of suicides went up dramatically in 2012, Harris said, up 90-percent from the 2011 totals.  Harris says from his office's experience suicides are usually directly related to relationship conflicts and economic desperation. You can hear more of our interview with the Porter County...

915am (CST) --
In Starke County: An accident has closed State Road 10 in both directions at State Road 23, about 14 miles east of North Judson... or about two miles east of Bass Lake. INDOT is advising motorists to avoid the area if you can.
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Indiana House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath of Michigan City says Governor Mike Pence's proposed income tax cut for Hoosiers is “one of the best ideas” from the governor... Indiana House Republicans, however, blocked taking action on it Thursday using a procedural move. Democrats had also offered an alternative budget, with a tax cut, and that was voted down by Republicans on a party line vote.  Though the budget doesn't include it now, the Times reports the governor's income tax cut still migh...

Did you get a flu shot this year and still catch the flu? The CDC says it happened quite a bit this year, but the shots did prevent millions from getting sick too. ABC's Andy Field reports the Centers for Disease Control says shots were just 56 percent effective this year - for type A and B flu. It gave children slightly better odds -- 67 percent...and not much help for the elderly....only 27 percent effective. Turns out getting the shot worked better if you caught influenza B -- that vaccine...