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Groundbrkg for Dawn Foods in Merrillville

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In Merrillville, Dawn Food Products held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday on their new 116-thousand square foot distribution center going in at the AmeriPlex at the Crossroads complex near 101st and Broadway. Officials say the Dawn Food facilities in Munster and Crown Point are being consolidated into the Merrillville location, and the new site could be open in October.
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Mvl PD: 'Zero Tolerance' for Weapons at School

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Merrillville Police say there is “zero tolerance” for anyone bringing a gun or any other weapon to school. Reports today say three Pierce Middle School students have been charged in Lake County Juvenile Court with illegal possession of a handgun, after one of them allegedly brought a loaded handgun to school this month apparently to appear “cool”. Police tell the Times of Northwest Indiana today that they have not recovered the gun, and that its origin and whereabouts are unknown.
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Duneland Names New School Supt

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The Duneland School Board has named Dr. David Prius superintendent effective July first. Prius has been an assistant superintendent with Duneland for ten years, and before that was a school superintendent in downstate Hamilton County for over a decade. He'll be replacing the retiring Dr. Dirk Baer, who has been with the district for 26 years.
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Two Accused of Molesting Infant

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A man and woman are accused of molesting an eleven-month-old child. Published reports say police say a 19-year-old Portage woman came forward and accused her then boyfriend, a 21-year-old Michigan City man, of molesting the child, then later allegedly admitted to having performed the same act on the infant, according to court documents.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/portage/man-woman-charged-with-molesting-infant/article_c68210c5-2d3d-58a1-97a1-f54145b1a53a.html
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MC Police Arrest 7 in Marijuana Investigation

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In Michigan City, seven people were arrested, including two 17-year-old juveniles, following an ongoing investigation into the distribution of marijuana in the city. Police say they received information that marijuana and other illegal drugs were being distributed out of neighborhood residences. Officers Friday morning served four search warrants at four different residential locations on East 9^th and 10^th Streets, Main Street and Green Street, and Michigan City Police Department S.W.A.T. Team made entry and secured each location. Michigan City Police say a large quantity of marijuana, guns, U.S. Currency, bullets, and drug paraphernalia were located and seized. They also says the investigation is ongoing with more arrests expected.
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Bond Set for Doctor Accused of Assault

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Reports say bond was set at 25-thousand dollars for a northwest Indiana doctor accused of sexually assaulting a patient at his Valparaiso office. Police in Valparaiso this week arrested Dr. Jose Agusti of Chicago on felony charges of sexual battery and criminal deviate conduct. Officials say a female subject advised Dr. Agusti had groped and touched her in an inappropriate sexual manner during a scheduled appointment, and that during the same appointment he is also accused of exposing himself to her. Following a lengthy investigation, an arrest warrant was served Thursday at the doctor's office on South Valparaiso street, and he was taken to the Porter County Jail. Police say the alleged assault took place at that office. Today's Times reports prosecutors expect additional investigation of other possible victims.
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Merrillville Roadwork Ahead

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The Indiana Department of Transportation says Randolph Street at U.S. 30 and 83rd Street in Merrillville will be closed this Monday, March 18th to repair a culvert, weather permitting. Traffic will be able to travel freely on U.S. 30. The detour will use Grand Boulevard.
Lots of roadwork is on the horizon for US 30 in Merrillville... including an enhancement of frontage roads near the Meijer store, on both sides of the highway. And in just about a couple weeks the Indiana Department of Transportation is planning to begin a major repaving project from Grand Boulevard on the east all the way to Taft Street to the west.
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Lake Co PD: About 60 lbs of Marijuana Seized

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Lake County Sheriffs Police say a tip on the Sheriff's Report a Crime “Hotline” resulted in two arrests and the seizure of nearly sixty pounds of alleged marijuana. Authorities say they also confiscated cash, a gun and a vehicle. Officers with the Lake County Drug Task Force arrested a 28-year-old LaPorte man during a traffic stop in Hammond. Police also obtained a search warrant for a Munster address on Camellia Drive, where the resident, a 30-year-old man was taken into custody. Both face felony charges of possession of marijuana and dealing in narcotics.
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Police Respond to Disturbance at Theater

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Valparaiso Police say a man was detained by police and taken to a local hospital for psychological evaluation after a disturbance at the Cinemark Movie Theater Friday night. Police say they learned the man was arguing with his father and allegedly making threats and hand gestures as if he had a gun, pointing at others. Authorities say this caused many individuals to flee the theater. Police also say a request for criminal charges will be forwarded to the Porter County Prosecutors Office.
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New Treatment Credited to Saving Life of Region Man

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A relatively rare treatment in the Region that's a proven life-saver for heart attack victims that recently became available at Franciscan St. Anthony Health in Crown Point, is credited for saving a Region man's life.
56-year-old, Greg Wornhoff, Cedar Lake Councilman and former volunteer firefighter says he doesn't fit the mold of someone with congestive heart failure and recounted on that fateful day he was helping with the delivery of some fuel to his barn when he collapsed on the concrete floor of the barn with the doors wide open.

Dr. Daniel Netluch, Chief of Emergency Services, who was instrumental in bringing therapeutic hypothermia" to the hospital, says the treatment protects brain cells by slowing down the body's metabolic rate by slowly cooling the body down to 32-degrees. Wornhoff says he does not recall much after being found.

Interestingly enough, the heart attack survivor says doctors told him after the fact, that he had quite a few heart attacks over the last eight to ten years. Wornoff says he did not even know he had the attacks which he says was caused by 100% of his arteries being blocked and another artery blocked 80 tor 85% percent. He adds that doctors want to put in more stints and a defibrillator but are waiting until he further recuperates.

Wornhoff advises that "once you hit that 50-mark go in and get checked out, because you never know."
Listen to our entire interview with Greg Wornhoff at: http://www.regionenwsteam.com
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Greg Wornhoff and his medical team at Franciscan St. Anthony Health in Crown Point.
(photo provide by Franciscan Alliance)
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Valpo Gulf War Vet Wins Million Dollar 2nd Chance Prize

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(Photos Courtesy of the Hoosier Lottery)
The second time around was the lucky one for a region Gulf War veteran and father of four who today won the Hoosier Lottery Lucky Millionaire drawing, walking away with a million dollar prize. Chris Ziegler, of Valparaiso, says he was also a finalist in the previous Lucky Millionaire drawing last September, but says when he heard his name today he was in shock, as well as Hoosier Lottery employees at the odds of being picked twice for the drawing.
Ziegler, who was working as an EMT before winning, but says he was injured while serving in the Marines, and that injury has hampered his ability to perform those duties, so after winning today he says he notified his employers he was resigning, who were happy for him.
Ziegler says he plans to spend the weekend celebrating. The drawing took place today at the Indianapolis St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival.
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$450,000 Awarded to Former Weinberger Patient

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A man who used to live in Lowell, and now resides in Arizona, was awarded 450-thousand dollars in damages by a Lake Superior Court jury on Thursday, due to unnecessary surgery performed by the former Merrillville “Nose Doc” Mark Weinberger. Published reports say Robert Hall sought treatment from Weinberger which resulted in worsening his medical condition. Weinberger is currently serving a seven-year sentence in a federal prison for fraudulent health insurance billing.
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Public Hearing Set for High-Speed Boat Race on L. Stone

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A public hearing has been scheduled for later this month regarding the proposed application permit to allow a high-speed motorboat race on Stone Lake, in LaPorte County. Indiana Conservation Officer Gene Davis says race organizers applied for a special permit through the D-N-R to conduct the race, but before the D-N-R signs off on the race, they want to hear from the public. Davis says the proposed high-speed race would be a smaller version of the races on Lake Michigan and in Michigan City. The public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday March 26th at 6 pm CDT at the LaPorte Best Western Conference Room located at 444 Pine Lake Avenue, LaPorte, IN, 46350.
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Fraudulent Text Messaging Scam Circulating

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DeMotte State Bank would like to inform the region of fraudulent text messages that are circulating. The messages are stating that your card has been deactivated and to call the listed phone number. This is a SCAM, please do not respond. If you have responded and given out any of your personal information, please contact your bank immediately.
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Valpo EMT War Vet Wins Million Dollar Prize

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(Photo Courtesy of the Hoosier Lottery)
A second chance sometimes makes all the difference as a U.S. Marine and wartime veteran from the region, who served in the Gulf War, has won the Hoosier Lottery Lucky Millionaire drawing, walking away with a million dollar prize. Chris Ziegler, of Valparaiso, who currently works as an EMT, was also a finalist in the previous Lucky Millionaire drawing last September. He didn't walk away with the million dollars that time, so he kept entering his non-winning tickets into the mylottery second-chance drawing. One of his entries was drawn in the Jan. 30 drawing, earning him $500, and a second shot at the $1 million, which he won today. The drawing took place today at the Indianapolis St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival.
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Hoosiers Depressed, Unhappy With Work

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Hoosiers are sad and unhappy with their jobs, according to a new Gallup Poll. The survey said Indiana is part of a 'sadness belt' in Midwest in part because they're depressed, overweight, and dissatisfied with work. Gallup looked at categories like emotional health, physical health, healthy behaviors, and work environment to rank the states. The well-being poll said people were happiest in Hawaii, and saddest in West Virginia.
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Region Doctor Charged With Sexual Battery

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Police in Valparaiso have arrested a doctor on felony charges of sexual battery and criminal deviate conduct. Police say they had been investigating a reported incident regarding alleged inappropriate behavior by a local doctor identified as Jose Agusti of Chicago. Officials say a female subject advised Dr. Agusti had groped and touched her in an inappropriate sexual manner during a scheduled appointment, and that during the same appointment he is also accused of exposing himself to her. Following a lengthy investigation, an arrest warrant was served Thursday at the doctor's office on South Valparaiso street, and he was taken to the Porter County Jail. Police say the alleged assault took place at that office.
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Lake Co Sees Biggest Drop in Population

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New figures show Lake County had the state's largest population decline in 2012 at 1,535 residents. Lake was one of 54 of Indiana's 92 counties to lose population. Porter County gained about a -hundred people.... according to estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau and analyzed by the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. Lake is still the second-largest county in the state, at 493,618, next to Marion County (918,977),and Porter is ninth-largest with 165,682 residents.
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Hammond Woman's Death Ruled Homicide

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The Lake County Coroner's Office says the death of a Hammond woman who disappeared more than ten years ago has been ruled a homicide, caused by extensive skull fractures due to unspecified blunt force trauma. Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller says Francine Carlson was 38 years old at the time of her disappearance in 1999, her remains discovered at the demolition site of a former bait shop in the 17-hundred block of Indianapolis Blvd, after a dog found one of her bones. Chief Miller says they spoke to over 30 people regarding the case, and identified a then 50 year old man as a suspect, who passed away five-years ago.
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Ind DNR to Hold Informal Hrg on Boat Race

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The Indiana Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division will be holding an informal public hearing to accept comments on the proposed application for permit to allow a high speed motorboat race on Stone Lake in LaPorte County. The public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday March 26th at 6 pm CDT at the LaPorte Best Western
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