Department of Natural Resource grants totaling 693-thousand dollars is set to be used to fund the battle against invasive aquatic vegetation in 53 Indiana lake, including a half-dozen in northwest Indiana. Several lakes in LaPorte, Porter, and Starke County will receive DNR grant money, which comes from the LARE fee paid annually by boat owners to the BMV. The DNR's Division of Fish and Wildlife reports the projects also provide economic benefits to the associated lake communities by offering increased opportunities for those who fish or pleasure boat.

April, 2013 LARE Invasive Aquatic Vegetation Management Grant Awards
Water body (County)	Project type	Grant award

Bass Lake (Starke)

Aquatic vegetation management treatment

$5,000

City of LaPorte Area Lakes-Clear, Pine, and Stone lakes (LaPorte)

Aquatic vegetation management survey, plan and treatment

$66,800

Fish Lake Area-Upper Fish, Lower Fish and Mud lakes (LaPorte)

Aquatic vegetation management survey, plan and treatment

$32,000

Hudson Lake (LaPorte)

Aquatic vegetation management survey, plan and treatment

$11,920

Koontz Lake (Starke)

Aquatic vegetation management survey, plan and treatment

$13,000

Valparaiso Area Lakes-Flint and Long lakes (Porter)

Aquatic vegetation management survey, plan and treatment

$16,750

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Read more: DNR Grants to Address Invasive Aquatic Vegetation

INDIANAPOLIS—National Public Health Week wraps up today with an important message to empower a healthy community. Individual health and community health go hand-in-hand. Where individuals have access to health tools, knowledge and opportunities, improved community health follows.  A resilient, well-supported public health system provides these necessary resources.
“It’s been a great National Public Health Week so far,” said State Health Commissioner William VanNess, M.D. “Each of the daily themes were designed to help people understand exactly what public health is and its value. Nowhere is that value more evident than in the community setting, so today’s theme of Empowering a Healthy Community is a great lesson to end the week.”
There are many ways public health efforts positively affect Hoosiers, such as by providing access to fluoridated water, which can reduce tooth decay by up 25 percent, and protecting children and adults from infectious diseases by making immunizations available.
Providing information and guidance about healthy eating, physical activity and injury prevention are key components of public health. Health and wellness initiatives are often driven by local health departments and other public health partners. These efforts are aimed at improving quality and length of life and reducing the burden of health care costs on society. For example, if 10 percent of adults began regularly walking, $5.6 billion in heart disease costs could be averted. And a sustained 10 percent weight loss could reduce an overweight person's lifetime medical costs by up to $5,300 by lowering the costs linked to hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and high cholesterol.
“It’s amazing how far a little physical activity can go toward your overall health and wellness,” said Dr. VanNess. “Adding a few small extra steps into your day by parking far away from an entrance or choosing the stairs over the elevator adds up. You can gradually work your way up to more challenging activities, like Zumba, swimming, yoga or running. Have fun with exercise.”
Here are some ways to help your community become empowered:
·         Join your Neighborhood Watch program.
·         Inquire about volunteer opportunities at community health centers.
·         Take part in national health observances, such as National HIV Testing Day, National Youth Violence Prevention Week and National Minority Health Month.
·         Support smoke-free policies; visit www.QuitNowIndiana.com to learn more. 
·         Partner with state and local parks and recreational facilities to increase access to safe places to be outside and physically active.
·         Work with local authorities to initiate violence intervention and prevention efforts. 
·         Reach out to health care professionals and discuss community health and prevention efforts.
·         Create a local health movement. Start a healthy food co-op, organize a canning circle, gather a walking group or form a club dedicated to volunteering.
 
To learn more about National Public Health Week, visit www.nphw.org.
For more information about the Indiana State Department of Health, visit www.StateHealth.in.gov.
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Read more: National Public Health Week: Empower a Healthy Community

On March 17, 2013, at 1623 eastern daylight time, a Hawker Beechcraft model 390 (Premier IA) business jet, N26DK, serial number RB-226, collided with three residential structures and terrain following an aborted landing attempt on runway 9R located at the South Bend Regional Airport (KSBN), South Bend, Indiana. The private pilot and pilot-rated-passenger occupying the cockpit seats were fatally injured. An additional two passengers and one individual on the ground sustained serious injuries. The airplane was registered to 7700 Enterprises of Montana, LLC and operated by Digicut Systems of Tulsa, Oklahoma, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 while on an instrument flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the business flight that departed Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. Airport (KRVS), Tulsa, Oklahoma, at 1358 central daylight time.
According to preliminary air traffic control information, at 1610:31, the accident pilot established radio communications with South Bend Approach Control while at 11,000 feet mean sea level (msl). The air traffic controller cleared the flight direct to KNUTE intersection and told the pilot to expect a visual approach to runway 9R. At 1611:44, the flight was cleared to descend to 10,000 feet msl. At 1613:06, the flight was cleared to 3,000 feet msl. At 1615:00, the approach controller told the pilot to make a 5-degree left turn to align with runway 9R and asked the pilot to report when he had the airport in sight. At 1615:07, the pilot declared an emergency because of a lack of engine power, reporting that they were "dead stick" and without any power. About 23 seconds later, at 1615:30, the pilot transmitted "we've lost all power, and we have no hydraulics." When the controller asked if the airplane remained controllable, the pilot replied "ah, barely controllable." The controller advised that all runways at KSBN were available for landing and issued the current winds, which were 130-degrees at 10 knots. At 1615:22, the pilot transmitted that the airplane’s navigational systems were inoperative and requested a radar vector toward the airport. The controller replied that the airport was 9 miles directly ahead of the airplane’s current position. At 1616:12, the controller told the pilot to turn 10-degrees left to intersect runway 9R. At 1616:15, the pilot replied "26DK, turning left." No additional voice communications were received from the accident airplane. The approach controller continued to transmit radar vectors toward runway 9R without any response from the accident pilot. At 1618:58, the approach controller told the accident airplane to go-around because the main landing gear was not extended. (The tower controller had informed the approach controller that only the nose landing gear was extended) The accident airplane was then observed to climb and enter a right traffic pattern for runway 9R. The airplane made another landing approach to runway 9R with only the nose landing gear extended. Several witnesses observed the airplane bounce several times on the runway before it ultimately entered a climbing right turn. The airplane was then observed to enter a nose low descent into a nearby residential community.
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Read more: Preliminary Info Released on South Bend Plane Crash

(Photo Courtesy of the Times)
Two house fires in Lake County Thursday afternoon reportedly occurred within an hour of each other. The Times reports a home, at the northwest corner of 153^rd Avenue and Colfax Street, in Cedar Lake Township was burned to the ground. The second fire, in the 500 block of Meadow Ridge Drive in Schererville, caused smoke and water damage to the home, with one corner of the residence sustaining heavy exterior damage, and several dogs were rescued as well, that according to the article. The cause of both fire have yet to be determined.
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Read more: Two Thursday Afternoon House Fires in Lake County

(Photo Courtesy of the Northwest Indiana RDA)
The City of Hammond's appointee to the Board of Directors of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority is stepping down from the Board, effective April 30^th.
Pete Novak says while has enjoyed his time on the Board, changes in his personal and professional life since 2009 are demanding more and more of his time. Novak, who is the CEO of the Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors, thanked Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott, RDA President and CEO Bill Hanna, Chairman Leigh Morris, and the Board for the tremendous experience.
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Read more: Novak to Step Down from RDA Board April 30th

You can help make a difference in the Duneland Community on this year's annual National Rebuilding Day, Saturday April 27^th. Rebuilding Together Duneland is accepting volunteers, skilled or unskilled, to help rehabilitate 13 homes and two community improvement projects. The deadline to apply is Monday, April 15^th, and for information on to apply online, visit http://rtduneland.org
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Read more: Rebuilding Together Duneland Accepting Volunteers

Legislation was approved by the Senate Thursday that would give Calumet Township a year to reduce its township assistance tax rate for poor relief spending. The Times reports if the township fails to do that, then the Indiana Distressed Unit Appeals Board can consider placing an emergency manager in power to make the necessary spending reductions, and if that doesn't reduce the the township's assistance tax rate, then in 2015, Griffith could hold a referendum on whether or not to leave. The bill now heads back to the House. Griffith residents pay more in property taxes to support the township's poor but reportedly get little in return.
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Read more: Bill Passed in Senate to Reduce Calumet Twp Spending

One of State Sen. Randy Head’s (R-Logansport) bills to protect Hoosier children was approved by the House of Representatives today by a vote of 93-0. Senate Bill 347 now returns to the Senate for final legislative review. 
SB 347 makes it illegal for certain sex offenders whose victims were children to communicate with a minor under 16 years old using a social networking site. It also increases the penalty for child solicitation to a Class B felony if the person solicits a child online and then travels to meet him or her, or if the person is a repeat offender for child solicitation.
“This bill is a crucial step toward better protecting our children from online predators,” Head said. “As more young people use social media to communicate, criminals are using these websites to find and talk to potential victims. The legislation passed today will address this problem and send a message that Indiana will not tolerate those who seek to harm our children.”
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Read more: Bill to Protect Hoosier Children Online Passes House

Those who think bullying is something kids "grow out of" may want to think again. A new study from Duke University found that bullying increases the risk of anxiety and depressive disorders for decades after the incidents. The researchers followed more than 1,000 children for up to 20 years and found victims of bullying and the bullies much more likely to wind up with severe problems as adults.
According to the lead author of the study, Dr. William Copeland, an associate professor of psychiatry at Duke, one group was particularly troubled: those who had reacted to being bullied by bullying others themselves.
"The males were at eighteen times higher risk of suicidality, the females were at 26 times higher risk of agoraphobia," the doctor said. "Males and females were at 14 times higher risk of having panic disorder."
Copeland said many of those who had been victims, and had not themselves turned to bullying, are now dealing with depression, anxiety, panic disorders, and that agoraphobic fear of being out in public.
Dr. Rochelle Harris, a child psychologist, said that some parents don't realize how much harm bullying can do to a child, and sometimes their response to that child is not helpful.
"I've heard all kinds of responses from the 'You don't have to take it; go back and punch them,' to the 'Just ignore, pretend it doesn't happen.' Ignoring is a really sophisticated skill that's difficult for everyone, much less a child," Harris declared.
She said bullying is not the victim's fault and that studies have shown that the whole-school approach is what works best.
"Rules about how children treat one another: have them posted all over the place," Harris suggested. "Teachers are trained to look for subtle aspects of bullying and to intervene."
Bullying doesn't only lead to problems for the victims. The study found that bullies who had not been victimized were much more likely to develop antisocial personality disorders as adults and had a high risk of suicide. Both Harris and Copeland recommend early intervention as a way to prevent problems later on in life.
The study appears in the on-line issue of JAMA Psychiatry, and is at: archpsyc.jamanetwork.com.
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Read more: New Duke Study: Bullying Lasts a Lifetime

Congressman Pete Visclosky applauded a decision of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) that restores a rule that stood for 35 years requiring certain types of steel purchased by the U.S. military to be 100% American-made. The rule required certain types of armor plate products to be both melted and finished in the United States.
“The Department’s decision represents a major victory for American steel workers and steel producers,” Congressman Visclosky said. “We have a responsibility to keep our fighting men and women safe on the field of battle and ensure that American-made steel is used to protect our troops.”
The decision revises the 2009 definition of “produced” steel to include the quenching and tempering of steel armor plate.  DoD regulations specify that materials procured for defense, like those used in the construction of tanks, armored vehicles, and other military equipment, must be produced in the United States.
As Vice-Chair of the Congressional Steel Caucus, Visclosky has been significantly involved with Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA) in urging the DoD to use American-made steel. The two lawmakers joined Members from both parties over multiple years to urge DoD to use American-made steel in its procurements.

Congressman Pete Visclosky
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Read more: U.S. Military Returns to American-Made Steel