(Photo Courtesy of the Times)
An eight-year veteran of Lake County Sheriff's Department is facing new drug charges on top of previous drug charges, that according to an article in today's Times. Published reports say Deputy Gary Pilipovich faces felony counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and manufacture of a controlled substance, for steroids. The 29 year old is already facing drug charges related to a search of his Portage apartment last June that stemmed from the deputy's compliant of mold, where cocaine, marijuana, and other drugs and paraphernalia was reportedly discovered. The Times reports Pilipovich is currently suspended with pay pending charges before the police merit board.
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A Crown Point Police Sergeant will remain with the department, but will be suspended for 30-days without pay, due to his handling of a pursuit in May of 2012. The Times reports Sgt. James Poling apologized in a written letter, and his suspension was approved today by the Board of Public Works. Published reports say Poling's lawsuit against the Police Chief and Mayor will be dismissed as a result of today's proceedings.
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The Lakes of the Four Seasons Fire Volunteer Fire Force reports the Red Cross is assisting family members after a fire in the basement of their home this morning. Chief Graham Federico says they were dispatched to the home at 7:14 this morning, on County Road 250 South, east of the Lakes of the Four Seasons, and spent about two-hours at the scene. Chief Federico says the fire was contained to the basement, and that there was smoke damage throughout the home. No injuries were reported and at last check the fire remains under investigation.
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In Valparaiso, police say the death of a 31-year-old man remains under investigation. Police say they responded to the 19-hundred block of Linden Drive last Friday night for a male subject not breathing and found the man dead at the scene. Authorities say the man's roommate, a 30-year-old man, was arrested on a felony charge of Possession of a Hypodermic Needle and held at the Porter County Jail.
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(Photo Courtesy of the Times)
In Hammond Federal Court Monday two Gary residents indicted on charges related to the alleged purchasing of a child to produce pornography pleaded not guilty, according to nwi-dot-com. Arraignment was scheduled today for 39-year-old Christopher Bour and 24-year-old Natisha Hillard. The US Attorneys Office says Hillard is accused of selling her 18-month-old child for the production of child pornography, and Bour is charged with buying a child to produce child pornography. Those and other charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Indiana State Police, and Gary and Michigan City Police Departments.
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[Photo provided/Indiana State Police]
Indiana State Police say a semi taking the ramp from Calumet Avenue to I-80 eastbound too fast, this morning caused a multi-semi crash that blocked lanes for about three hours. Troopers say a preliminary investigation showed the first semi rolled onto its drivers side and slid onto the interstate. A second semi pulling an empty covered wagon trailer hit the rail container, but stayed upright and a third rig pulling a box trailer tried to swerve to avoid the other two, causing it to jack-knife, hitting the second trailer and crashing into and through the concrete median barrier wall. The second trailer ripped open and parts of its load, rolls of Styrofoam came out onto the interstate. Troopers say one of the drivers suffered a fractured knee, and the other two were unhurt.

[Photo provided/Indiana State Police]
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Indiana Regional Silver Alert on Donald Eugene Hickman Sr. has been cancelled as of 9:10 a.m. EST today. Mr. Hickman has been located. This cancellation was requested by the Carroll County Sheriff.
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Two public meetings are scheduled this Wednesday in Lake and Porter Counties on the Deep River-Portage Burns Watershed. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is determining the maximum amount of pollutants, or pollutant load, a stream can receive and not violate state water quality standards. The first meeting is 2 p.m.at the Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District & Extension Office in Crown Point; the second meeting is 6 p.m. at the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk.  Citizens who attend either meeting will also learn about water quality monitoring that will begin this April and how to be involved.
Additional info:
Who:  Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM)
What:  Public meetings about the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Deep River–Portage Burns Watershed
When and Where:  Wednesday, March 13, 2013
• 2 p.m. (local time), at the Lake County SWCD & Extension Office, 880 E. 99th Court, Suite A, Crown Point, Indiana
• 6 p.m. (local time), at the Portage Lakefront & Riverwalk, Riverwalk Drive, Portage, Indiana
On the Web:  www.watersheds.IN.gov/2347.htm    
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) is ready to begin developing a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Deep River-Portage Burns Watershed in Lake and Porter counties. To kick-off the process, IDEM will hold two public meetings on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. The first meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. (local time) at the Lake County SWCD & Extension Office, 880 E. 99th Court, Suite A, in Crown Point. The second meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. (local time) at the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk, Riverwalk Drive, in Portage.
TMDL is the term for a calculation to determine the maximum amount of pollutants, or pollutant load, a stream can receive and not violate state water quality standards. Where streams violate water quality standards, IDEM develops TMDL reports that include calculations and describe sources of pollutants within the watershed, methods used to analyze data, pollutant reductions needed to restore water quality, and actions for improving water quality.
Citizens who attend either meeting on the Deep River-Portage Burns Watershed TMDL will learn about water quality monitoring that will begin in April 2013, steps in the TMDL process, and how the community can be involved.
Water quality can be impacted by “nonpoint source pollution” and “point source  pollution.” Nonpoint source pollution happens when rain water and snowmelt wash contaminants off of the land into lakes and streams. Common nonpoint source pollutants include excess chemical pesticides and fertilizers used in residential, business and agricultural areas, bacteria from animal waste and failing septic systems, excess salt and oil residue on roadways, and erosion and sediment from bare soils. Point source pollution happens when a contaminant is discharged from a specific source into a lake and or stream. Water pollution from a combined sewer overflow is an example of point source pollution. 
More information about sources of water pollution, watershed planning, and Total Maximum Daily Load Reports is available on the IDEM website at www.watersheds.IN.gov
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BMD Agency, LLC, a boutique creative design firm, announced plans today to expand its operations in northern Indiana, creating up to 27 new jobs by 2016.  The homegrown-Hoosier company will invest $4.1 million to build and equip a 20,000 square-foot facility in the Silverado Industrial Park, a state certified shovel ready site in Roanoke, in Allen County. BMD Agency plans to move from its current Fort Wayne site to the new facility by the end of the year.   BMD Agency, which currently has 29 full-time employees in Indiana, is currently hiring additional writers and graphic designers. Interested applicants can apply at www.brittonmdg.com/careers. 
"Most of our new clients are from outside of Indiana and that has made it tempting to expand our operations closer to new opportunities," said Jeff Britton, principal of BMD Agency. "But our roots are here in Indiana. Our long-standing client Vera Bradley is here and we believe that our Midwestern work ethic, combined with the latest technology, a new inspiring work environment and an expanded world-class team will allow us to compete with the best. We look forward to our continued future in northeast Indiana and thank the IEDC and local officials for helping make this expansion possible."
Founded in 2006 by Jeff and Sue Britton, BMD Agency provides advertising and lifestyle marketing services to clients that specialize in female consumer goods that are influenced by color and fashion trends. The company, whose clients include Vera Bradley, Summit Brands, Benjamin Moore Paints and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, received a 2011 RACIE Award by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association for its work on the 2010 Vera Bradley catalog. 
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[Photo provided/Matthew Burkart testifies in committee on Tuesday, March 5.]
An Indiana House Committee has unanimously approved a bill inspired by a thirteen-year-old boy from Newburgh. Senate Bill 153 would create an exemption in Indiana's child labor laws to allow Hoosiers younger than 14 to work as youth athletic program referees, umpires or officials. Evansville Holy Rosary Catholic School student Matthew Burkart sought the change after he was turned away from taking a referee job or volunteering as an official for a local soccer club. Burkart, who testified in both the Senate and House committee hearings, said “This bill will get kids off the couches and iPads” and help teach responsibility, commitment and confidence.

[Photo provided/Matthew Burkart and his father, Bob, meet with Rep. Crouch (located far left in photo) and Sen. Becker (located far right in photo) after committee on Tuesday, March 5.]
Burkart also says the bill would potentially help 300 12- and 13-year-old Hoosiers who want to referee.
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