Valparaiso's most famous statue will be getting some company this Sunday afternoon, and this Sunday only, as the actual Oscar statuette, the Academy Award, will be in Central Park Plaza in downtown Valpo. Mayor Jon Costas says, “we'd like to thank the academy for selecting Orville Redenbacher and Valparaiso as one of the stops along this fun motion picture tour.” The public is invited to attend Sunday afternoon at 3:30, and the festivities are said to include breakout comedians, producers, and a...

Read more: The Academy Award Comes to Valpo this Sunday

(Photo Courtesy of ISP Lowell Post)
A 28 year old Lake County man was arrested this morning on a federal charge of receiving child pornography. Indiana State Police Lowell Post reports a warrant was served at approximately 10 this morning, on the 600 block of West Porter Street in Crown Point, for Joshua Atwood, who was taken into custody without incident. Indiana State Police say the arrest stemmed from an investigation conducted by Immigration Customs and Enforcement, as well as Crimes Against...

Read more: Crown Point Man Arrest on Child Pornography Charge

Porter County Sheriffs Police say a gas main break followed a single-vehicle crash on County Road 500 West between the Boone Grove and Hebron areas this morning. 500-West will remain closed, between County Roads 650 and 700 South, until 7pm tonight for repairs to the gas main.
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Read more: County Rd 500 West Closed Until 7pm Tonight

A democratic candidate for Mayor of Calumet City, Illinois, filed a lawsuit on Thursday claiming officials in Calumet City government are trying to undermine his campaign, that according to today's Times. Published reports say Brian Wilson's lawsuit contends that information about debts he allegedly owed to the city were withheld when he inquired about them, and that exact information was used against him to try and remove him from the spring ballot.
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Read more: Wilson Files Lawsuit Against Calumet City Officials

(Photo Courtesy of the Times)
The Times reports the jury began deliberating on sentencing today regarding the conviction of 47 year old Kevin Isom. Published reports say Isom was found guilty of murder on Wednesday by jurors in the deaths of his wife and two step-children, in August of 2007. and found guilty of three-counts of criminal reckless for shooting at law enforcement officers during a standoff. The Times reports Isom faces either the death penalty, life without the possibility of...

Read more: Sentencing Deliberation Begins in Isom Case

Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson will host a Legislative Community Forum on Saturday, Feb. 16th at 10:00a.m. – 11:30a.m. at the Genesis Convention Center (5th & Broadway) in the Indiana Room. The purpose of the forum is to update citizens on various Senate Bills that directly concern and impact Gary and Northwest Indiana.
Meanwhile... tomorrow, the first of two Super Saturday free tax prep events for individuals who qualify hosted by the city of Gary and Urban League at the Genesis Convention...

Read more: Free Tax Prep Community Forum Events in Gary

The latest data from the Indiana State Department of Health now show 47 flu-related deaths in the state this season, four additional cases since last week's report. Officials also say three of the deaths have occurred in individuals under the age of 18; that figure was at two last week. Six of the deaths have occurred in Marion County, the Indianapolis area. The department does not report the number of deaths in a county until five deaths have occurred in a specific county.
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Read more: Indiana Flu Deaths Up to 47

Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District is providing special weekday train service to the Chicago Auto Show. Normally, the South Shore only serves McCormick Place on weekends. The show runs February 9^th through the 18^th. For specifics on the schedule, click here:  www.nictd.com
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Read more: Special South Shore Service for Auto Show

In Northwest Indiana, Lake County is getting hit with lake effect snow showers today.  Accumulations of 1-2, or even higher amounts, are possible in these lake effect snow bands before they diminish later today.  Here's a Special Weather Statement from the National Weather Service in Chicago:
913 AM CST FRI FEB 8 2013
...LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS TO PERSIST TODAY...
ONGOING LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL PERSIST TODAY PRIMARILY
AFFECTING AREAS IN SOUTHEAST COOK COUNTY ILLINOIS AND ALL OF LAKE
COUNTY...

Read more: Lake County is Getting Lake Effect

Porter County Sheriffs Police say County Road 500 West between the Boone Grove and Hebron areas will be closed for a time following a crash and gas main break. Public Information Officer Sgt. Larry LaFlower says 500 West is closed between County Roads 650 South and 700 South for crash cleanup and repairs to the gas main, which could take a while.
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Read more: Crash, Gas Main Break Close CR 500 West