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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Read more: Duneland Names New School Supt

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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Read more: Two Accused of Molesting Infant

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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Read more: MC Police Arrest 7 in Marijuana Investigation

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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Read more: Bond Set for Doctor Accused of Assault

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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Read more: Merrillville Roadwork Ahead

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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Read more: Lake Co PD: About 60 lbs of Marijuana Seized

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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Read more: Police Respond to Disturbance at Theater

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

Greg Wornhoff and his medical team at Franciscan St. Anthony Health in Crown Point.
(photo provide by Franciscan Alliance)
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Read more: New Treatment Credited to Saving Life of Region Man

(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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Read more: Valpo Gulf War Vet Wins Million Dollar 2nd Chance Prize

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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Read more: $450,000 Awarded to Former Weinberger Patient