Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels will be joined by federal, state and local officials to open the first three sections of the new I-69 corridor in southwest Indiana. The new sections will cover a 67-mile stretch representing what the governor's office says has been the longest contiguous new interstate construction project in the United States. Starting at just after 9:30 Eastern Time this morning, Governor Daniels will lead a ceremonial parade ride between three separate grand opening events....

Read more: New Interstate Extension Opening Today

Information from the Hoosier Lottery:

INDIANAPOLIS - It took only 12 draws for the Hoosier Lottery's newest game, Cash 5, to produce its first jackpot winner and the winning ticket was purchased at a retailer in Merrillville.

The winning ticket, which matched all five numbers in last [Thursday]  night's Cash 5 drawing, was purchased at GoLo at 6085 Cleveland Circle and is worth $77,500.

Cash 5, which costs just $1 to play and draws every night, features the best cash odds of any Hoosier Lottery...

Read more: Big Lottery Wins in Lake Co

(Photo/INDOT Northwest at Facebook)

In Valparaiso, the Vale Park Road Bridge over State Road 49 is scheduled to open this Wednesday (Nov 21), according to the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT).  INDOT Spokesman Matt Deitchley says the bridge features a back-lit sign that says “Valparaiso”, decorative lighting, and a textured side meant to give the idea of wind-swept dunes. Deitchley also says a roundabout system is used at the end of the ramps to get on and off State Road 49 and onto V...

Read more: Vale Park Bridge Opening This Week

[Photo/Radio One Communications]

Who's behind the tweets from the bronze park-bench-seat in downtown Valparaiso? That part's a mystery, the Times tells us, but the Orville Redenbacher statue at Central Park Plaza does have its own Twitter account, @orvillestatue, with nearly 200 followers.  You can read more about it here at the Times http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/mystery-person-tweeting-for-redenbacher-statue-in-valparaiso/article_7068d71b-33e0-58b7-bba2-71f25b6fe836.html

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Read more: Orville Statue Now on Twitter

Here's the news release: HOBART, Ind. (Nov. 19, 2012) - ITR America, LLC (ITR), a heavy machinery equipment parts distributor, announced plans today to expand its headquarters here, creating up to 20 new jobs by 2014.

The Hobart-headquartered company will invest $6.2 million to build a 100,000 square-foot facility on eight acres in the North Wind Crossing Business Park, a state certified shovel ready site in Lake County. As part of the project, ITR will purchase new distribution equipment for...

Read more: Parts Distributor Expanding in Lake Co

In Lake County Sunday evening, just before 6-o'clock, the Indiana State Police Lowell Post say a 33-year-old Chicago man was struck and killed. Witnesses told police the man was standing in the center lane of northbound I-65 just a little north of US 30 in the Hobart/Merrillville area (near mile marker 253.8) when three vehicles swerved and missed him, then when they tried to help him, he ran out into the center lane again and was struck by a semi and killed. The driver of the semi was not...

Read more: Man Loses Life on Interstate 65

The Indiana state Police at Lowell are currently investigating a shooting that occurred on I-80 westbound east of Grant at approximately 3:02 a.m. local time.  Trooper Detective Chris Campione says the victim’s vehicle with four occupants was westbound on I-80 near Grant Street in Gary when a dark colored vehicle came up alongside and fired multiple rounds.  According to a media release from the state police, the victim’s vehicle was struck several times with rounds penetrating the vehicle strik...

Read more: Overnight Shooting on I-80

It took jurors less than 10-minutes Friday to come up with a guilty verdict in a fatal shooting that happened last summer in Gary.  The Times is reporting that 28-year-old, Jory Peters of Gary, faces up to 65-years for a shooting death of a man he said had robbed him.  Prosecutors retried the case after a previous jury deliberating for about eight hours became deadlocked on the murder charge.  Peters and another Gary man, were accused of allegedly shooting at Juan Nieves in a downtown Gary gas s...

Read more: Gary Man Found Guilty in Shooting Death

Thanks to the baby boom generation, the most amount of workers ever, will be retiring over the next five to ten years.   Bill Leavitt a technical writer from Valparaiso, who retired early himself, says when it comes to the mental aspect of retirement a lot retirees will be venturing into uncharted waters.  This is one of the reasons Leavitt says he wrote a new book titled, "Retirement--Life's Greatest Adventure, A Retiree's Guide to a Happy, Fulfilling Life."  The book is being self-published an...

Read more: Region Man Authors New Book

A Northwest Indiana-based company outbids an Indonesian firm winning a two-million dollar contract.  The Times is reporting that Midwest Service Center won the bid to build a turbine cylinder for a Louisiana utility company.  Employees have reportedly been working around the clock, seven days a week since mid-October to meet a March 24th deadline, according to the article.  To complete the job, Midwest has hired-on 15 additional welders, machinists and engineers giving the company a total of 85...

Read more: Region Co. Wins Big Contract