One person is dead, another seriously injured after a passenger vehicle collided with a garbage truck early this afternoon in Center Township. The LaPorte County Sheriff's Office reports a vehicle, driven a 68 year old woman was heading east on County Road 300 North, toward Johnson Road, and failed to stop at the stop sign at the intersection, hitting a northbound garbage truck. A 70 year old man, a passenger in the vehicle that failed to stop, was pronounced dead at the scene, while the 68 year old female driver was airlifted to South Bend Memorial Hospital for her injuries. The Sheriff's Office reports none of the three-occupants of the garbage truck were injured, and the crash remains under investigation. The names of those in the passenger vehicle are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
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Read more: Authorities Investigating Fatal Crash in Center Twp

Police in Dyer today report a residence was allegedly burglarized while the homeowners were inside. Dyer Police report the incident occurred early this morning, between 4 and 5am, in the 26-hundred block of Tulip Tree Lane. Authorities say the alleged thief reportedly went through an unlocked door and took a purse and electronics. The incident remains under investigation.
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Read more: Burglary at Dyer Home Happens with the Family There

About 40 people were waiting outside the courtroom, and when the doors open this afternoon, they learned 20 year old Dustin McCowan was sentenced to 60 years in prison for murdering former girlfriend, 19 year old Amanda Bach, in September 2011. The parents of deceased read their witness statements, asking for the maximum sentence for McCowan. After sentencing, Sandra Bach, Amanda's mother, gave a final public statement, saying she has no sympathy for McCowan or his family, and their loss is no where near as great as ours. Defense Attorney's for McCowan say their client will file an appeal after 30 days through a public defender.
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Read more: McCowan Sentenced to 60 Years and Plans to Appeal

Kankakee Valley REMC is making necessary repairs to a power pole broken on the northeast corner of HWY 2 and 100 South in Porter County.  According to Amanda Steeb, Communications Director for the utility, Approximately 2,000 members living in or around this area are currently experiencing an outage as REMC's crews are on the scene making the necessary repairs.  Kankakee Valley REMC says it appreciates it's members patience as the utility works quickly and safely to restore power.
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Read more: Power Outage in Porter County Effecting Some REMC Members

US 30 in stopped in Dyer not far from the hospital. Both directions are not moving.  There is a train blocking the highway. We have reports of an issue with the train, but it's not known what that might mean at this time.
Also, in Porter County, tipster tells us the lights are out at County Road 250 West, a couple miles west of Valparaiso.  No word why at this time.
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Read more: US 30 in Dyer Blocked by Train

The Portage Redevelopment Commission has awarded the contract for demolition of the Portage Yacht Club, and tear down could begin in less than a month. The decades-old building, now owned by the city, is just north of Interstate 94 off State Road 149. It's been said renting it out wouldn't bring in enough to pay for needed renovations. It used to be a clubhouse for employees of the former Midwest Steel.
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Read more: Yacht Club Demolition Soon

In Valparaiso, a stretch of Yellowstone Road is scheduled to be closed for most of April, starting this Monday, for storm and sanitary sewer work, and water main construction. The restriction will be in effect 24-hours a day between Avondale Avenue and the north George Street entrance.
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Read more: Yellowstone Road Closure Apr 1

No injuries were reported in a house fire in Merrillville last night that is reportedly believed to have started by a ten-year-old child playing with matches. Firefighters were called out to the 91-hundred block of Wright Street around 9 pm. The fire was in a second-floor closet and was extinguished in about a half-hour.
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Read more: No Injuries in Merrillville House Fire

In a joint Hammond Police Department and Homeland Security Investigation, a Morton High School math teacher has been accused in federal court of asking underage female students to text sexually explicit pictures of themselves to him by cellphone. Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller says the investigation continues, and says the department thinks there may be more people who have information on this case. Chief Miller says anyone with information on the case is asked to call Hammond Detective Sgt. Mark Biller at 219-852-2966. Chief Miller says the teacher identified as Jon Erik Lilly was taken into custody this week. Reports say investigation began when the mother of a 17-year-old girl suspected her daughter was sexually active with the man, who told officials he had been a teacher at Morton until very recently. Court documents also say he denied having sexual contact with the girl. A hearing was set for Friday.
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Read more: Investigation Into Hammond Teacher Continues

A nationally-known Republican pundit has recorded a video for PETA – asking Indiana lawmakers to vote against the so-called “Ag-Gag” bill, which would ban videotaping on farms without permission. Mary Matalin says “you may be wondering what a meat-eating conservative Republican” like herself is doing in a PETA video. She says she and her husband, Democratic strategist James Carville, believe farm animals should be treated humanely, and want people to think about where their food comes from. Other critics of Senate Bill 373 say undercover videos expose food safety issues and unsafe conditions. Supporters say it's meant to protect privacy.
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Read more: Natl GOP Pundit Against Ind 'Ag-Gag' Bill