The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is developing plans for the proposed replacement of the small structure located on US 421 over the East Arm of Slocum Ditch, 1.18 miles north of the intersection of US 421 and US 30 at RP 216+10 In LaPorte County
Read More

Lt. Governor Becky Skillman today announced the opening of the Indiana Heating and Cooling Incentive Program (IHIP) that will provide rebates for the purchase and installation of Energy Star Rated furnaces, boilers, central air conditioners and heat pumps. The rebates range from $150 to $1,000 depending on the technology that is installed.

“Hoosiers with older, inefficient heating and cooling systems are watching their money literally go out the window,” Lt. Governor Becky Skillman said. “This program will bring the cost of replacing those less efficient systems within reach of more Hoosier homeowners.”

IHIP is the Indiana program that is part of the federal State Energy Efficiency Appliance Rebate Program (SEEARP). Indiana received $6.1 million for the program, which will remain active until the funds are exhausted. This program will compliment the rebate or incentive programs already in place through many of Indiana’s utility companies.
Read More

Special Olympics Indiana announced the 2010 Polar Plunge event to benefit Special Olympics Indiana will include ten sites throughout the state of Indiana with neighboring Merrillville hosting the event on Saturday Feb. 20.

As Special Olympics Indiana’s signature fundraising event, the Polar Plunge invites Hoosier residents to be “freezin’ for a reason” and “take the plunge” for adults and children with intellectual disabilities. For the last decade, brave souls and warm hearts have jumped into bodies of water in February to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics Indiana.
Read More

Taltree Arboretum & Gardens will host its monthly Garden Discussion Group from 10 a.m. – noon on Saturday, Feb. 6 in the Taltree Railway Garden Depot. The topic of this discussion is pest control. Volunteer host Zann Wilson asks attendees to bring their expertise and/or questions to share. Enjoy the camaraderie of fellow gardeners in a comfortable environment. Bring a favorite book or magazine that relates to the month’s topic. Anyone who enjoys nature and gardening and wants to learn more and meet others with similar interests is welcome. Participation in the discussion group is free; entry cost into the arboretum is $5 per person for non-members; free for Taltree members. Enter the arboretum grounds to access the depot building at 450 West 100 North, Valparaiso.

The following classes are held inside Taltree Arboretum & Gardens Classroom (behind office & greenhouse – look for signs to office and classroom), 71 North 500 West, Valparaiso. Class fees are $15 for non-members and $12 for Taltree members. Pre-registration is required. Admission price for walk-ins is $17 for Taltree members and $20 for non-members.
Read More

When life gets rough and you’re feeling stressed out, don’t you like to seek some sort of escape from the everyday grind? Some say there’s nothing like a little bit of inspiration to get you going again. Some say that there’s nothing more healing than the human touch. There’s a place in Portage that provides both the inspiration and the touch, and you won’t have to go very far to find it. Edward Anthony’s Spa is that very place.

Esther Plevo is the owner of Edward Anthony’s, and she is an inspiration in herself. She launched the spa in February, 2005. It has been so successful that she was able to move to a better location on U.S. Highway 6 boasting signage reading EA Spa, and has even completely remodeled the new facility to create a more modern look.

As all businesses do, Plevo serves to make her a living, but making money wasn’t the motivation for her to open the spa. Motivated by something much more meaningful she said, “I opened it up in the memory of my son, Edward Anthony (Perez). He died of cancer at the age of 16. The spa is named after him.”
Read More

This Valentine’s Day, St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart has the perfect way to show someone special how much you care. For each donation made toward cardiovascular research, crimson lights on the Hearts of Hope trees outside St. Mary Medical Center will cast a rosy glow during the month of February – National Heart Health month – as a tribute to those who are dear to us.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Hearts of Hope trees located at St. Mary Medical Center, 1500 S. Lake Park Ave., will be decorated with lights that represent contributions made in honor of or in memory of someone who has filled our hearts with love and joy. A light may be reserved in the name of a loved one for $5 each. Monies raised through donations will fund vitally needed research for heart disease.
Read More

Community Hospital in Munster is among the Gift of Hope’s 2009 honorees for outstanding achievement in saving and enhancing lives through organ or tissue donations. The 2009 Top Tissue Donor Hospital award has been presented to Community Hospital at Gift of Hope’s third annual Chicagoland hospital event: The “X” Factor: Where Donation and Transplantation Intersect. 

At the event, several area hospitals were recognized in three categories: total number of eligible organ donors; top tissue donating hospitals and top transplant centers. Twenty-one Chicago and suburban hospitals earned a Medal of Honor for organ donations; 16 hospitals and medical centers were recognized for greatest number of tissue donations, including Community Hospital, and four Illinois medical centers received Transplant Center awards.

 “Being recognized as one of 16 top hospitals as a 2009 Tissue Donor Hospital Award recipient represents a significant accomplishment, since Gift of Hope serves 173 hospitals in Chicago, its surrounding suburbs and northwest Indiana – many of which are Level 1 Trauma Centers,” Donald P. Fesko, chief executive officer, Community Hospital said. “It shows that regardless of the size of the hospital, the combined efforts of caring healthcare professionals and the generosity of the people in our communities can make a brighter future for those in need of organ and tissue donations.”  
Read More

Prevent Child Abuse Porter County (PCAPC) has been serving our community for the last 15 years. Each year PCAPC hosts a multitude of fundraisers with the capstone event being the annual gala. This year PCAPC will sponsor a Mardi Gras themed semi-formal gala on February 20, 2010. This event provides the majority of the organization’s funding for the year.

You are invited to participate in this 11th Annual Gala at Old Town Banquet in Valparaiso. Tickets are $50 per person. Steve Zana of Indiana 105.5 will provide entertainment. The silent auction will feature a Mobil Team leather Jacket donated by Quality Oil, four box seat season tickets from the Railcats, and many other items generously donated by local businesses.
Read More