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Dec
30
Deadly Motel Attack Shocks Region
Filed Under Merrillville, crime | Leave a Comment
A motel party always portends fun times, but an early Saturday morning get together turned deadly after a man fired his gun on people waiting for an elevator at Merrillville’s Country Inn & Suites after an argument, according to news reports.
A Gary man is dead and four other people — one woman and three men — were injured in the 1 a.m. gunfire.
Dead is 20-year-old John Boyd of Gary. He died at Methodist Hospital Southlake at 8:26 a.m. Saturday, according to the Post-Tribune and the Northwest Indiana Times.
Reports the Post-Tribune’s Piet Levy:
“I heard gunshots and people running around,” said Kenneth Stewart, who stayed at the hotel Friday night while visiting from Indianapolis. “It was horrific.”Stewart’s friend claimed he saw the shooting. While he was inside his room, No. 315, he said he heard arguing in the hallway. When he opened the door and looked out, he said he saw a man pull out a gun and fire six shots at a group of 10 to 12 people near the elevator.
“There was blood everywhere,” the man said, who ran from the hotel following the attack.
The Northwest Indiana Times reports that Merrillville police have identified a person of interest in the deadly attack, but hadn’t made an arrest as of Saturday afternoon.
Dec
30
There’s always some sort of investigation going on in the Region. This time Lake County prosecutors and the Indiana attorney general are looking into Lake County’s printing contracts, reports the Post-Tribune’s John Byrne.
The two law enforcement agencies haven’t decided which will be in charge of the investigation, according to Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter. It could also mean the Lake County Commissioners select other printers.
Lake County officials are investigating whether two bidders for government printing contracts illegally joined forces in an effort to freeze out a third company vying for the work.
County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said Thursday he had been notified of allegations that Hammond printing companies A-1 Union Graphics and Sheffield Press Printers & Lithographers had colluded in their bids for 2007 contracts.
“Right now the information we have is incomplete,” Carter said. “The situation definitely deserves further investigation. We have been in contact with the Attorney General’s Office to determine which agency will proceed with that investigation.”
Officials from A-1 and Sheffield could face civil or criminal charges if it is determined they violated Lake County’s non-collusion agreement, Carter said.
Dec
30
Anti-Illiana Position Helped Elect Lowell’s John Alessia Jr. To Council
Filed Under Illiana Expressway, John Alessia Jr, Lowell | Leave a Comment
Opposition to the proposed Illiana Expressway helped propel Lowell town councilman John Alessia, Jr. into office, reports the Post-Tribune.
“One of the big things I will be addressing is the Illiana Toll Road,” Alessia said of his goals for his first term in office. He said he is against a proposal to build a toll road coming through Lowell.
“We (Lowell residents) should have some say. An overwhelming majority are against it,” he said.
Dec
30
Will Tax Issue Mean New Faces In County Gov’t?
Filed Under Lake County Election 2008 | Leave a Comment
Will the proposed and unpopular Lake County income tax (and political perks — such as free taxpayer paid gasoline) mean that voters will throw out the incumbents in 2008? Despite the unrest, it always seems to me that the same people somehow always end up staying in power — they just move from one post to another.
Writes the Northwest Indiana Times:
Incumbents thinking about re-election may look with dread at popular unrest over taxes and scandals involving county Surveyor George Van Til lending a county truck to his son and pumping public gas into his private vehicle
Incumbents aren’t giving up, despite the tax protests. They have their eyes on moving into new positions that are opening up as other candidates leave.
Outgoing Commissioner Fran DuPey is retiring after 12 years. Possible candidates to replace her might include Hammond City Councilmen Dan Repay and Robert “Bob” Markovich and Richard Novak, director of East Chicago’s boat marina and a member of the North Township board.
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