WGN-TV MERRILLVILLE, Ind. (WGN) – A person of interest has been arrested in connection with recent threats made toward schools in the Merrillville Community School Corporation The Merrillville Police Department said Sunday that threats were made toward a principal officers and teachers in Merrillville schools authorities determined the threats to be of “a lower threat level.” As a precaution increased police patrols were seen throughout Merrillville schools along with strategically placed unmarked police vehicles the police department announced a person of interest had been taken into custody in connection with the threats and that all schools are secure Anyone with additional information is asked to contact police by emailing investigations@merrillville.in.gov Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" these are the actual most popular baby names so far in 2025 Whether it’s a short vacation or they’re jetting off to begin their career show the future traveler you care with a meaningful graduation gift National Teacher Appreciation Week begins May 5 take advantage of these freebies and deals Police have confirmed a threat of violence made against several school officials MERRILLVILLE — A "person of interest" was taken into custody Monday in connection with threats of violence made against local school officials in collaboration with the Merrillville Community School Corporation have worked swiftly and diligently to investigate these threats and ensure the safety of our students and community," police said in a statement Monday Police confirmed threats targeting a school resource officer a principal and security officer with Merrillville schools but said they considered the threats to be low level we are taking extra precautions by increasing police patrols throughout Merrillville schools along with strategically placed unmarked units," police said "Our School Resource Officers and Detective Bureau remain vigilant and are continuing to monitor the situation." Anyone with information about the situation is encouraged to contact investigations@merrillville.in.gov please rest assured that our schools are secure and we look forward to finishing off the school year as we move towards summer," police said Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE Arresting Agency: Lake Station Police Department Offense Description: BATTERY - SIMPLE - AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT OR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIAL Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department Offense Description: FAMILY OFFENSE- NEGLECT OF DEPENDANT/CHILD VIOLATIONS Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department Offense Description: RESISTING - INTERFERING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY; WEAPON - POSSESSION - FIREARM - BY A FELON Offense Description: DEALING - METHAMPHETAMINE Offense Description: DEALING - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG Arresting Agency: East Chicago Police Department Offense Description: BATTERY - AGGRAVATED - W/DEADLY WEAPON Arresting Agency: Whiting Police Department Arresting Agency: Merrillville Police Department Offense Description: RESISTING - INTERFERING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY Arresting Agency: Hobart Police Department Offense Description: THEFT - VEHICLE - MOTOR VEHICLE - CONVERSION - UNAUTHORIZED CONTROL Offense Description: BURGLARY - PROPERTY - RESIDENTIAL ENTRY - BREAKING AND ENTERING Offense Description: BATTERY - AGGRAVATED - W/INJURY Arresting Agency: Schererville Police Department Offense Description: LEAVING THE SCENE OF A CRASH - PROPERTY DAMAGE CRASH Arresting Agency: Cedar Lake Police Department Offense Description: LEAVING THE SCENE OF A CRASH - INJURY CRASH - MOTOR VEHICLE Offense Description: BURGLARY - PROPERTY - RESIDENTIAL ENTRY - BREAKING AND ENTERING; LEAVING THE SCENE OF A CRASH - INJURY CRASH - MOTOR VEHICLE Highest Offense Class: Felony; Misdemeanor Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - AGGRAVATED - MODERATE BODILY INJURY Offense Description: ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT Arresting Agency: Munster Police Department Offense Description: BATTERY - AGGRAVATED - W/BODILY INJURY Offense Description: CRIMINAL RECKLESSNESS - AGGRAVATED - W/DEADLY WEAPON (SOCIETY IS VICTIM) Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE - PRESENCE OF CHILD < 16 YEARS OLD Offense Description: ROBBERY; MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email Porter/LaPorte County Courts and Social Justice Reporter Email notifications are only sent once a day Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a dramatic warning to world leaders planning to attend Russia’s Victory Day Parade on May 9 Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Panduit is building a 475,000-square-foot distribution center in Merrillville now with the help of a tax abatement from the town The total project investment is estimated at $76.5 million “This is a huge boom in the economic development arena that Merrillville has never seen similar to the Amazon project,” said Town Councilman Shawn Pettit during a Feb The Merrillville Town Council approved a tax abatement Feb 25 for the property at 9945 Mississippi St reducing incrementally to 12.5% in the 10th year asked for the personal property tax abatement in a letter to Angie Chilcott “With the support of the town of Merrillville we will continue to expand our business and contribute to the local economy,” Lange wrote The company's electrical infrastructure department said it is “expanding facilities worldwide for faster fulfillment achieved through in-house manufacturing of power connectors manufactures electrical infrastructure and data center deployment “From data centers and office facilities to plant floors and processing lines, we design, build, install, and service innovative solutions that turn connectivity into a competitive advantage,” according to its website Shaw Local News Network reported in May 2024 that the company planned to close its DeKalb A Facebook post showed work progressing on the warehouse that started construction in 2023 You must be logged in to post a comment April – May 2025 Download PDF of issue Publisher's Note, Current Issue: In this issue Around the Region, Current Issue: Professional advancement Current Issue, Best of Business Awards: 2025 Awards Small Business, Current Issue: Fearless entrepreneurs Construction, Current Issue: Controlling costs Tourism & Recreation, Meetings & Events, Current Issue: Bonding experiences The Future of, Current Issue: Goshen: ‘Unlike anywhere else’ Economic Development, Current Issue: ‘Future of energy is bright’ Current Issue, Business Profile: Mno-Bmadsen: Tribal investments Leader Profile, Current Issue: Lifetime of connections Off Hours, Current Issue: A vision for plants Current Issue, Career Path: Matt Lambert: On a Y mission Making a Difference, Current Issue: Health Foundation of La Porte Viewpoint, Current Issue: Let go of goals — just be Copyright © 2025 Northwest Indiana Business Magazine | an imprint of Linker Media Group, Inc | Company logos provided by Logo.dev Plans for a large data center have cleared their first hurdle in the town of Merrillville Karis Critical wants to build up to nine 100-million-dollar buildings on almost 180 acres on 101st Avenue Now, the town says a new Data Center Citizen Advisory Committee has given its support to the project The project will also need a zoning change and power authorization from NIPSCO to move forward town council member Shawn Pettit called it a "low impact/high reward development," adding that it would create job opportunities for Merrillville residents Plan commission member Brian Dering says that each building in the data center campus could bring in a million dollars a year in property tax revenue The town announced the creation of the advisory committee last month after at least four data center developers expressed interest in Merrillville Council President Rick Bella noted that large industrial data centers could use as much electricity as a small town co-host of the "Fox & Friends" television show is sworn in as Merrillville's first auxiliary police officer MERRILLVILLE — The local police department has sworn in its first auxiliary officer and he is likely to be familiar to fans of the "Fox & Friends" television show who is known for his signature storytelling and "man-on-the-street" segments as co-host of "Fox & Friends," the town announced "My job here is not to do anything different than your cops have already been doing on the street but to help bring our communities together," said Jones who was sworn in Tuesday night by the town council "I have a passion for the K-9 program," he said "I know the work and the healing that they can bring to communities not just from a law enforcement standpoint people to look up to like they already do today." Merrillville Police Chief Kosta Nuses said including participating in qualified ride-alongs with police to help share what Merrillville officers experience and what the department is able to accomplish with limited funding." Jones confirmed to the Times he will not do any official public relations or information dissemination work with the department "Lawrence will be working closely with us to amplify our story ensuring that the public understands who we are what we stand for and how we serve our community," Nuses said his experience in K-9 training will also help enhance our force as we continue to grow and evolve." will reportedly take part in a law enforcement training course that will grant him limited police powers These powers include assisting in non-law-enforcement duties support at crime scenes and community policing all under the direct supervision of a sworn officer he would first be required to take part in further training "Lawrence’s role isn’t just about policing it’s about fostering a deeper connection with the community staying transparent and showing that we’re always striving to improve," Nuses said The auxiliary officer position was created last year with the idea of hiring police retirees in civilian records/secretary positions "This translates into the auxiliary officer being able to handle time consuming routines that require a sworn officer but are not complex aspects of law enforcement," he said "It's no secret that we need more officers this was an outside the box approach to try and get more police services without spending any more money," Nuses said we chose to bring Lawrence Jones on board because we feel he could help us establish a better positive perception with the public enhancing police and public relations." Jones later clarified he would not be engaging in any official public relations efforts but acknowledged that police departments like Merrillville's need more funding to do their jobs at the highest level I just want to set an example," Jones said "There’s a lack of resources in policing today they don’t have the resources to do that." Jones further wants to assist the department's K9 unit by lending some of his expertise in training "I want everybody in America to see what Merrillville is and see what we have to offer and come here," the chief said The relationship between Jones and the town developed through a shared connection with Baden K-9 which is a service dog training company in Ontario The company trained all of Merrillville's K-9 dogs and partnered with Jones in 2023 to make a contribution that helped bring K-9 Yaga to the Merrillville Police Department Merrillville has reportedly received about $25,000 worth of dogs and services from Baden and Jones "Jones has already made a significant impact on our Police Department and we’re thrilled to have him serve as an auxiliary officer," Town Council President Rick Bella said "I’d like to thank Chief Nuses for coordinating this endeavor to strengthen our connection with the public by bringing more attention to The Heart of the Region." "This has been a long three and half years without her and now it's going to be forever," Gerri Wright said Led by the special operations unit of the sheriff's department the increased police presence targets alleged car thieves The group's vehicle had been struck several times by gunfire and the back window was shattered or any driving behavior of the Ford prior to the crash please contact Trooper Jordin Rosillo at 219-… "(The Merrillville Fire Department) then made arrangements to pick up the fire truck and had it towed to another repair shop," ISP said RT Patterson, a renowned engineering firm with nearly 70 years of experience in delivering innovative engineering solutions, has signed a long-term lease at 8585 Broadway in Merrillville This eight-story professional office building highly visible from I-65 and widely regarded as a landmark in Northwest Indiana will now serve as a strategic location for RT Patterson’s continued growth and operations The landlord of 8585 Broadway was represented in the transaction by Antony Miocic Director of the Office Group at Crown Point-based Latitude Commercial “We are excited to welcome RT Patterson to 8585 Broadway,” said Miocic “This building’s iconic status and central location make it a perfect fit for a company with RT Patterson’s legacy and reputation We’re proud to facilitate this important step in their expansion and look forward to their success in Merrillville.” Click here to see commercial properties available for lease and for sale near you Share Good News Contact Us Meet Our Team A Merrillville housing development is getting some financing help from the town The town council Tuesday agreed to issue up to $20 million in economic development tax increment revenue bonds for Liberty Estates West which will be paid back using the increase in property tax revenues Interim Town Manager Michael Griffin called it a textbook example of a powerful redevelopment tool "This will provide an incentive for the developer to continue with the great work he is doing to provide housing at the high level also trying to make it accessible to those who are entering the housing market by allowing for contract payments," Griffin told council members Griffin said the new development may also include enough space for a new regional park Resident Chris Holst praised Hallmark Development for donating to Merrillville parks and nonprofits but questioned the town's use of tax increment financing you're sending two children to Merrillville Schools You're doing things that you should be doing but you're tax revenue's not going to help their educations It's going into a TIF zone," Holst told council members school districts generally use local property taxes to fund transportation and operations expenses while teacher salaries and other education expenses are typically funded by the state Some Merrillville seniors and residents with disabilities will be able to get a free bus pass thanks to a grant from the Legacy Foundation to the Gary Public Transportation Corporation The foundation says it's given $26,862 to GPTC with support from the Patricia Merrell Transportation Fund Fifty 30-day bus passes will be distributed each month on a first-come first-served basis to Merrillville residents who are 65 and older or have a disability Qualifying residents can enroll starting June 1 at Merrillville Town Hall or the Adam Benjamin Metro Center in Gary Proof of age and residency will be required Legacy Foundation President and CEO Kelly Anoe says the goal is to make sure individuals can get to "the essential places that support their well-being" and empower the community "to live freely and fully." Video provided in partnership with The Times One driver died and another had to be airlifted to a Chicago area hospital after a deadly crash in Merrillville Saturday Merrillville police responded to a three-vehicle crash at 1:30 p.m Saturday at the 8700 block of Taft Street in Merrillville Officers found that several vehicles at the scene suffered significant damage according to the Merrillville Police Department The Merrillville Fire Department used the jaws of life to cut two drivers out of the crumpled wreckage of their vehicles One was flown by helicopter to a Chicago area hospital because of the severity of their injuries That driver was pronounced dead by doctors at the hospital The person has not been identified because their family has not been notified yet A second driver was taken to a local hospital and then airlifted by helicopter to a Chicago area hospital for more advanced trauma care than what was available locally That driver was in critical condition as of Saturday evening was arrested after driving past barricades through the crash scene "The Merrillville Police Department Crash Team was called to the scene and began to investigate Their investigation was delayed due to a vehicle going around police vehicles/barricades and ignoring police officer commands," the Merrillville Police Department said in a press release "The driver of this vehicle was arrested and the crash team was able to safely continue their investigation." Anyone with information is urged to contact Ofc. Tim Michels at tmichels@merrillville.in.gov or Asst. Chief Matt Vasel at mvasel@merrillville.in.gov Soho isn't just a trendy neighborhood in New York City or London anymore SoHo Sweets Creamery and Cafe is now serving scoops of ice cream in downtown South Holland The ice cream shop and cafe moved into a historic home at 16129 South Park Avenue lunch and Smalltown Coffee from Crown Point It offers takeout and dine-in in a modern but quaint ambiance SoHo Sweets Creamery and Cafe sells ice cream by the scoop smoked gouda and egg on a house-made biscuit an egg and cheddar croissant and brown sugar bourbon oatmeal A new Balkan grocer is offering imported ethnic fare in Northwest Indiana Aroma Euro Market opened in Lincoln Ridge Plaza on U.S which is locally owned and operated by the Krajisnik family It aspires to be Northwest Indiana’s go-to spot for all things Balkan “We are very happy to open in this highly trafficked plaza Aroma is a perfect fit for the area," said Myles Rapchack with Latitude Commercial which represented Aroma Euro Market in the deal "I have no doubt they will be extremely successful as their passion for the business showed throughout the entire process They are going to be a great addition to Schererville and the surrounding communities.” The store has an extensive deli selling a wide variety of sausages It sells a variety of imported groceries from Eastern Europe Hammond's Couch Potato Furniture is now permanently inert but it will soon be replaced by a new furniture store Icon Home Furniture plans to open in the former Couch Potato Furniture space at 7111 Indianapolis Boulevard in Hammond The retailer signed a long-term lease for the 11,500-square-foot storefront which has been used as a furniture store since it was built in 1956 beds and other furniture to the local neighborhood market “With its large showroom and open space design this is an ideal location for a furniture store," said Antony Miocic of Crown Point-based Latitude Commercial "Hammond residents may remember this building as being Leonard’s Furniture for many years I hope Icon Home Furniture stays with the community as long as Leonard’s did." Tropical Islands Cuisine is bringing "food and traditions closer to home" in Merrillville 80th Place in Merrillville specializes in authentic Filipino-Asian cuisine like boodle sa biloa One can get squid grilled in banana leaves Filipino sweet-style spaghetti with Siopao pork asado or pork asado in steamed buns Tropical Islands Cuisine also offers smoothies It has a bar with karaoke and an Asian grocery store.  The restaurant has a buffet on Sundays and delivers free within five-miles with a minimum order of $50 so long as customers tip the delivery driver.  For more information, call 219-262-7890, email tropicalislandsllc@gmail.com or find the business on Facebook Smiles on Randolph opened "Indiana's state-of-the-art dental med spa" on U.S Chanbo Sim is the head of the 10,000-square-foot two-story facility at 8000 E The newly constructed building features 25 dental rooms a large conference room and private patient reception areas with the aim of providing an upscale experience.  Smiles on Randolph offers a wide array of dental services It also provides cosmetic services like botox fillers coolsculpting and cold sore laster treatment.  For more information, visit smilesonrandolph.com or call 219-356-8000 NWI Eye & Laser Center is relocating to a new location at 851 Eastport Centre Drive in Valparaiso Chester Architectural & Construction Services will soon break ground on a new building for the eye care center NWI Eye & Laser Center offers an array of eye care services eye disease treatment and LASIK corrective procedures For more information, call 219-464-8223 or visit www.nwindianaeyeandlaser.com After more than a month's hiatus to reassess because of the labor shortage The Wurst is again serving artisan meats in downtown Griffith which got a glowing profile by a Chicago Reader food critic It's debuting new international sausages made with locally sourced meat It also continues to carry sausage favorites like Polish There's more on the way and we didn't forget Oktoberfest is right around the corner Amici's Grill and Pizzeria opened its second location at 1409 Lincolnway in Valparaiso The popular Italian restaurant on Ridge Road in Highland established its second location near the Valparaiso University campus The Valparaiso location also have gyros plates For more information, visit www.amicigrill.com or call 219-286-6293 The longstanding regional Tex-Mex chain long had an eatery at 943 River Oaks Drive near the River Oaks Center which has multiple locations across Northwest Indiana and Chicago as well as daily food and drink specials it runs throughout the weeks If you would like your business to be included in a future column, email joseph.pete@nwi.com.   NWI Business Ins and Outs: Spice & Tea Exchange Jamba Juice and Chop Shop open; The Pink Sheep Boutique plans expansion Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter Companies both file for 1 million sq ft data center campuses in Merriville Two more data center campuses are being proposed outside Chicago in Merrillville NWI reports two multi-building data center campuses have been proposed in the Lake County town this month with both gaining preliminary approval from Merrillville’s Data Center Advisory Committee Merrillville is located in northeast Indiana on the shore of Lake Michigan close to the state border and a few miles east of Chicago Province Group plans to invest up to $500 million in developing the 1 million sq ft Merrillville Technology Park data center campus near Colorado Street and Harms Road in Merrillville The company is looking to develop four 250,000 sq ft (23,226 sqm) buildings "This is going to be a powerhouse for economic development," Province Group vice president Tim Ramm said "It would be low intensity compared to other uses Province Group now has tentative purchase agreements for the land It is commissioning NIPSCO to do a data center transmission study to determine how much power it can supply to the site The company is aiming to offer up to 400MW of capacity Merrillville's Data Center Advisory Committee gave preliminary approval last week Province was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Newport Beach or entitled more than 75 projects with a combined value of more than $850 million The company is planning a data center campus outside Richmond, Virginia will consist of three data center buildings totaling 1.5 million sq ft (139,355 sqm) and up to 300MW at full build-out Real estate firm Wylie Capital is also applying to develop a data center campus in Merriville The company reportedly plans to invest $600 million in developing the Merrillville Commerce Center at Broadway and Georgia Street into a 1.2 million sq ft (111,484 sqm) data center site The development could see up to six buildings The Merrillville Data Advisory Center gave preliminary approval to the development earlier this month The first phase would see two buildings developed Wylie Capital is a real estate investment and development company The company says it has acquired $180 million of commercial property totaling one million sq ft to date with a development pipeline of industrial and residential projects totaling more than four million sq ft across Illinois The company’s website notes it has previously sold an industrial site in Illinois to Microsoft for a planned data center development Indiana is quickly becoming a popular market for building data centers and a number of developers are eyeing the northwest area of the Hoosier State Karis Critical is seeking to develop a nine-building campus on a 180-acre site in Merriville Provident Realty recently proposed a seven-building campus in nearby Burns Harbor. Provident Realty also proposed an eight-building data center campus in Chesterton in May 2024 Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia Some might consider Jeremiah Jordan to be a late bloomer on the gridiron the Merrillville High senior linebacker has saved his best for when it matters the most but did not start participating in football until I was in eighth grade going into my freshman year," recalled the 5-foot-11 "My biggest influences as a football player have to be old NFL (National Football League) players like (former Baltimore Ravens linebacker and Pro Football Hall of Famer) Ray Lewis Just seeing the physicality that he brought to the game makes me excited to play." Since getting an opportunity to be a contributor on the varsity as a sophomore Jordan has made his presence known with 87 total tackles and five quarterback sacks over his first two campaigns he has done his fair share to help the Pirates to a 10-1 record and claim their sixth straight sectional crown with 60 tackles "I constantly pushed myself in the weight room throughout the off-season My coaches also really pushed me to have great workouts so that I could improve my game at the same time Coach (Pat) Winters had us working all off-season to improve our game by watching film This also goes for the classroom where he has made tremendous strides after getting off to a slow start early on with his studies "That's why I try to maintain the athletics-academics balance to make sure I stay on track." Having been around Jeremiah since the start of his career veteran Merrillville boss Brad Seiss has noticed the transformation "Jeremiah is a great kid who has come a long way," explained Seiss who is now in his 10th year on the sidelines "He epitomizes why high school coaches do what they do He's shown tremendous growth as a player with much-improved preparation These were things that we couldn't always say about Jeremiah "I'm very proud of him really transforming into a guy that our defense can really depend on He brings tremendous physicality to our defense That's because he has really improved with the help of Coach Winters Jordan has admiration for his leader as well "Playing for Coach Seiss is amazing," explained Jordan "He has high expectations for everybody no matter who you are He has impacted my career by teaching me about respect and being the best at whatever it is that I do." After getting blanked (28-0) by eventual Class 5A state champion Fort Wayne Snider in last season's northern semistate Jeremiah and his teammates have been on a mission to get redemption we have worked harder together than ever before," explained Jordan/ "Throughout the summer we really came together as a team and defensive unit We all trust and love one another in that defensive room and that has paid off to this point." Even though hopes of a perfect season were dashed early on by defending Class 6A state runner-up Crown Point (46-13 on September 6) staying focused on the bigger prize in all areas has not been an issue we still lift in-season to maintain our physicality," Jordan said "We also will do extra conditioning as a team to keep improving in that regard The stress and pressure are easy to deal with because I know that the coaches and my teammates have my back." 3 Merrillville is going to make it back to the Final Four for the second straight year and fifth time in the last six seasons they first need to take care of business again in the regional round against Duneland Conference rival and No 7 Valparaiso (8-3) at Demaree Stadium on November 15 "We have to be dominant on every single play again," explained Jordan whose club posted a 35-7 win over the Vikings on October 4 "This will happen by reading keys and taking the ball away from them." Although he won't be wearing Merrillville's purple and white uniform anymore at some point in the next month Jeremiah does hope to be contributing somewhere on Saturdays next fall "My future goal is to play football at the next level," Jordan said I will continue to be the best Pirates' football player I can possibly be." 'Road to 100' reaches 65 committed high schools and NFL FLAG Will Distribute FREE NFL FLAG-In-School Flag Football Kits for the Upcoming School Year Inspiring Youth to Be Active Through Sport 'Road to 100' reaches 51 girls high school teams Indianapolis Colts All-Pro linebacker Zaire Franklin will serve as one of the NFL's Global Flag Football Ambassadors On National Girls & Women in Sports Day we celebrate the incredible strides women have made in sports—and the bright future ahead At the heart of this progress is the growing interest in High School Girls Flag Football across Indiana Warren Central High School is leading the way with an inspiring group of young women who are eager to take their passion for football to the next level Wide receiver Quay Guilford of Fort Wayne Northrop High School has been named the Colts/Nike "Next One," the Indianapolis Colts announced today Elena Newsom of Indianapolis Herron High School has been nominated for the Maxwell Football Club's (MFC) first-ever Girls National Flag Football Player of the Year award John Hart of Brownsburg High School has been named the AFC winner of the NFL's 2024 Don Shula High School Coach of the Year award The Indianapolis Colts are continuing their "Road to 100" campaign to develop girls high school flag football as a fully sanctioned Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) sport presented by Peyton Manning Children's Hospital are accepting registrations for new and returning athletes for Spring 2025 The 2024 Indiana Football Digest Insider - Week 14 Kyle Enright of Decatur Central High School has been named the Colts/NFL Coach of the Week presented by Indianapolis-based Corteva Agriscience and sponsored in part by Certor Sports Be the first to see the 2025 schedule and get priority presale access to single game tickets The Crown Point Bulldogs visited the Merrillville Pirates on Friday Crown Point’s Dikembe Shaw led all scorers with 20 points The Bulldogs remain undefeated this season They will look to continue their winning streak tomorrow evening against the Griffith Panthers and will visit Munster tomorrow as they try to snap a 6-game losing streak The Portage Indians took on the Merrillville Pirates in the 4A Sectional Championship game Both teams came out strong in the first half Not allowing either one to take a strong lead In the 2nd half Portage kicked it into high gear and pulled away from the Pirates The Indians took the win with a final score of 83-62 #20 Garrett Clark was the top scorer for the Indians with 19 points Her phone last pinged near the Hard Rock Casino in Gary MERRILLVILLE — The Merrillville girl who went missing late Saturday has been found Merrillville Police Chief Kosta Nuses said Sunday evening Nuses said he had no further information to share as of 5:45 p.m Stephen Franks said she has wandered off just once before — she was five years old the only other time Riding Shotgun with Griffith Police Officer Cynthia Torres worked in a doctor's office for more than five years before she fulfilled a childhood dre… a man called 911 at approximately 8:15 p.m Friday because someone had fired shots at him on I-65 131 faculty voted no confidence in VU President José Padilla a person close to the vote told the Times Saturday The victim of shooting in Merrillville Thursday night received "lifesaving aid" and was flown to a Chicago area hospital A man was found dead late Saturday in what officials believe to be a homicide in the city's west side The sheriff's department is asking residents living in the area of County Road 200 South and County Road 1000 West to evacuate their homes as … Most towns in the Region have set official trick-or-treating hours from 5 to 7 p.m Some start an hour earlier or end half an hour later Photographer Rick Bella earned global recognition at the 2025 MUSE Photography Awards Bella won gold in the Commercial Photography/Corporate and Business category and silver in Minimalist Photography/Silhouetted Moments. The competition drew over 4,000 entries from over 40 counties Bella’s gold-winning image, Skilled Care captures surgeons in action at Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute in Chesterton It was used in a billboard campaign promoting orthopedic care close to home was taken at the opening celebration of the Regent Hotel in Santa Monica Beach Bella captured the picture for long-time client Kaleidoscope Vue Consulting “I am humbled and honored to be recognized among so many talented photographers worldwide,” Bella said in a press release “These awards inspire me to keep pushing my creative boundaries.” Bella has been a photographer since age 15 After studying business at Indiana University and photography at the New York Institute of Photography established Bella Photography in Merrillville They have served clients for over 25 years Bella is also serving in his 18th year as an elected town councilman in his hometown of Merrillville The MUSE Photography Awards celebrate creative photographers around the globe in diverse categories from fine art to commercial and editorial photography You must be logged in to post a comment Three Merrillville police officers were hurt Police say they were called to the 1300 block of East 83rd Avenue around 8:40 a.m. for a report of a car stolen by a suicidal subject Officers say they tried to pull it over on Broadway but the driver fled north of I-65 and continued onto the Indiana Toll Road Police say the vehicle got off at Broadway Three officers in separate police cars reportedly hit the car intentionally. Police chief Kosta Nuses said in a statement that officers had to take immediate action so nobody else would get hurt He says the suspect intended to hurt himself and others But the three officers were taken to the hospital the town will have to rely on help from surrounding departments to fill in for the injured officers and damaged vehicles RT Patterson recently signed a long-term lease at 8585 Broadway in Merrillville RT Patterson is an engineering firm based in Pittsburgh The Merrillville location will serve as a base for RT Patterson’s growth and operations The firm also has offices in Crown Point and Evansville Latitude Commercial director of the office group represented the landlord in the transaction “We are excited to welcome RT Patterson to 8585 Broadway,” Miocic said in a press release “This building’s iconic status and central location make it a perfect fit for a company with RT Patterson’s legacy and reputation.” Crown Point-based Latitude Commercial provides commercial real estate services tenant representation and commercial property management Latitude Commercial serves properties in Indiana and Illinois You must be logged in to post a comment The permanent fate of Merrillville's town court is set to be decided by the Town Council in a matter of weeks Five members of the seven-member body told The Times that they plan to repeat the votes they cast last year on a second reading of an ordinance that would reverse plans to wind down court operations With proponents citing steep operating costs the Merrillville Town Council voted in December 2019 to abolish the local court and shift its caseload to the county judiciary A lawsuit filed by Merrillville Town Court Judge Eugene Velazco delayed implementation of the closure some members of the council sought to change course When the council first voted on the ordinance on May 14 voted to approve a first reading of the ordinance Clerk-Treasurer Eric January attempted to intervene and vote for the ordinance citing an Indiana statute that gives a clerk-treasurer the ability to resolve tied town council votes but he was prevented from participating after town council attorney Joe Svetanoff advised the body not to allow it alleging that he had been improperly denied a say in the fate of the ordinance His lawsuit was consolidated with Velazco's still-ongoing suit Lake County Superior Court Judge Bruce Parent sided with January finding that the clerk-treasurer did have the right to vote on the ordinance he directed the town to "finance the Town Court at its pre-lawsuit levels The town responded with a motion to correct error claiming that the judge had improperly circumvented the council's normal process Ordinances before the body must be approved on both first and second readings before being adopted and the ordinance in question had been voted on just once Parent admonished lawyers for the town for not informing him of this before he ruled on the matter The judge issued a new ruling which partially overturned his December order The Merrillville Town Council was directed to reconsider the ordinance on first reading with the seven council votes remaining the same this time allowing January to cast a tie-breaking vote of his own The body did so during its Tuesday meeting though town attorney Ricardo Hall reiterated beforehand that "we are still of the opinion that the trial court erred in finding the clerk-treasurer could issue a tie-breaking vote." He argued that with Neal present and abstaining the legislation should have failed after failing to receive majority support and the item was approved on first reading The legislation will be up for final approval at the council's next meeting on March 25 Councilmen Bella and Pettit told The Times that they plan to vote against the ordinance "We'll find a great use for that about $300,000 or so if the courts are closed," Bella said operation costs (and) fixing things in town" as possible options Pettit underscored that Velazco was selected to fill a vacant judge's seat in a caucus of the Merrillville-Ross Township Democratic precinct organization only after the council voted to close the court "The elected person disregarded (that) and disrespected the Town Council's vote and I have a huge problem with that," he said "Along with the hundreds of thousands of dollars wasted on attorney fees for this situation." Haynes-Edwards and Chandler-Felton all said they are sticking to their "yes" votes who supported the referendum that created the Merrillville Town Court in 1996 said she believes the court has been "doing quite well over the years." who was reelected to his seat after running unopposed in the town's 2023 municipal elections "And if in that four years that the court does not succeed like the town says it has not done previous years said she feels "simply that we need to have a court to do the things that the court does." Councilwomen Hardaway and Neal declined to say how they plan to vote or to otherwise comment on the situation Westville's Brian Jackson rolls in for two on Wednesday in Kouts Westville's Dillon Walpole hits two over Tri-Township's Ethan Dailey on Wednesday in Kouts Westville's Dillon Walpole scoops in two on Wednesday in Kouts Marquette Catholic's Vaughn Rael-Kludt jumps high for a pass on Wednesday in Kouts Kouts' Lucas Kleckner tries a shot over Marquette Catholic's Colson Dobre on Wednesday in Kouts Kouts' Eli Harper is fouled by Marquette Catholic's Colson Dobre on Wednesday in Kouts East Chicago Central's Keontaye Bell gets orders from his coach Jeremiah Ochoa on Tuesday in East Chicago East Chicago Central's Dominique Murphy Jr and Griffith's Nathan Visak scramble for the ball on Tuesday in East Chicago Valparaiso Creative Center Executive Director Jessica Corral poses with donor plaque inside the new Valpo Creates Center which will be opened at a public event Thursday Valparaiso Creative Center Executive Director Jessica Corral poses outside the new Valpo Creates Center which will be opened at a public event Thursday Edison Elementary School principal Adam White hands out literature to a parents on the possible consequence of federal funding cuts The effort was part of the "Protect Our Kids" day of action organized by teachers across Hammond schools on Thursday School City of Hobart Superintendent Peggy Buffington speaks to residents during an informational session about the district's operating referendum Voters will decide on May 6 whether to renew the measure for another eight years delivers his 2025 State of the City address at an event held by the Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce at Dynasty Banquets on Calumet Avenue The Indiana Dunes Visitor Center is about to undergo a major overhaul The old exhibition room will be turned into an expanded gift shop and new exhibits will be installed in the lobby Gary Mayor Eddie Melton presents to an enthusiastic crowd at St Timothy Community Church about Gary's proposal for a new Lake County convention center Portage fans rush the court after their team's victory over Merrillville on Saturday in Valparaiso Merrillville's Josiah Jones guards Portage's Samuel Wellman on Saturday in Valparaiso Portage's Garrett Clark loses the ball to Merrillville's Jalen McAlister on Saturday in Valparaiso Merrillville's Cayden Thompson shoots over Portage's O'Mari Evens on Saturday in Valparaiso Boone Grove's Jack Stevens hits for a pair on Friday in Hebron Boone Grove's Mark Rowland gets jammed up by Hebron's Spencer Spinks and Brody Hale on Friday in Hebron Hebron's Spencer Wynsma pulls up to hit two on Friday in Hebron 21st Century's Lemetrius Williams guards Andrean's James Finley on Friday in Hebron Andrean's Jerry Triplett makes the shot and is fouled in the process on Friday in Hebron Andrean's Paul Gilvydis pulls down a rebound on Friday in Hebron The Cypress Log Cabin has been transformed into a rental by a new company which is now doing rentals inside Indiana Dunes National Park A data center campus is being proposed outside Chicago in Merrillville Karis Critical has approached Merrillville about building a data center campus in the Lake County town The Merrillville Town Council voted 7-0 Tuesday to approve zoning that would allow a data center to be built at the site Set on a 180-acre site on 101st Avenue east of Deep River Timelines for development haven't been shared but Karis is reportedly working to make sure it can get enough power from NIPSCO NWITimes reports the existing transmission lines can service the first two buildings but more transmission lines will have to be extended to build all nine buildings Merrillville’s newly formed Data Center Citizen Advisory Committee - which features nine residents and other development professionals - endorsed the proposal "I am extremely pleased with the turnout and the level of engagement from our citizens at our initial meeting,” Town Council President Rick Bella said “The preparation and thoughtful participation they brought to the discussion were invaluable We addressed many of the common concerns and misconceptions surrounding data centers and it became evident that many of these fears have already been mitigated through the advancements in modern data center design." Karis Critical has also developed a data center in Dekalb “We are so thankful for the Town of Merrillville allowing us to participate in this advisory committee - it is very rare for a town to show this level of passion and engagement in the process and we are so excited to continue moving this transformative project forward,” said Brett Rogers “It is a testament to what makes Merrillville a leader in Northwest Indiana We are optimistic that we can solve the power story on this project in the near term to really unlock a promising development in Merrillville – especially given our site’s existing infrastructure.” Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia Amazon's new 1-million-square-foot warehouse in The Silos at Sanders Farm off Interstate 65 in Merrillville went live Wednesday and will employ approximately 1,000 workers by April Town Councilman Shawn Pettit said Amazon has started moving packages at the massive building at 9850 Mississippi Street The e-commerce giant is still hiring for the facility and expects to have around 1,000 workers by the time it reaches 24/7 operations in Merrillville who toured the facility with Pettit and other town officials this week said the warehouse could end up hiring for up to 1,500 jobs in the future "It's like its own little city," Pillman said its own lactation station inside the facility I don't imagine it will be a tax on resources in the town Amazon is leasing the 1-million-square-foot building one of the largest ever constructed in Northwest Indiana from Dallas-based Crow Holdings which receives products from vendors and ships them to Amazon fulfillment centers An IXD facility does not ship orders directly to customers the way the Amazon Fulfillment Center just across I-65 in Merrillville does "Basically what they do is that vendors bring products to the east side of the building they have an elaborate high-tech system to check them in and then they ship them across the Midwest on I-65," Pettit said "They load up outbound trucks at a second location It ships products from vendors to other Amazon facilities the fulfillment centers that deliver products to people's doorsteps." Merrillville gave Crow Holdings property tax incentives that will encourage it to hire at least 10% Merrillville residents but there are already people working in there It won't be fully staffed until April," Pettit said "It's obviously huge for economic development It will mean a huge boom in job creation in town We have 55 to 70 vendors hiring at our annual job fair and no one comes close Methodist Hospital may have around 500 employees in Merrillville Amazon will be the biggest employer in town when it's fully staffed."  Seattle-based Amazon did not immediately respond to messages The e-commerce giant signed a long-term lease at the massive Silos at Sanders Farm Building 2 with 79 loading docks 765 trailer spaces and an 18.48-acre industrial outdoor storage yard Crow Holdings invested at least $90 million into the building which was originally constructed on spec or without a tenant lined up 190,000-square-foot delivery station in the AmeriPlex at the Crossroads business park along Broadway in Merrillville where it already employed a few hundred workers The delivery station just across the interstate highway from the new warehouse handles the last step in the distribution of products to customers taking packages on the "final mile" to customers' doors Amazon has created a very efficient operation inside the new warehouse in the Silos at Sanders Farm industrial park "Products come in and are shipped out to different regions no more than 10 minutes after they're dropped off," he said "It's amazing for the town of Merrillville that Amazon is bringing this year The warehouse has been training workers for weeks and is doing a soft launch with one daytime shift It will eventually work up to three shifts for 24/7 operations nearly every day of the year except for maybe Christmas "It's a very impressive facility the way everything is set up," he said "It takes 10 minutes for products to go in and out It's mind-blowing they're able to do as much as they do The amount of packages they can move is astronomical." Pillman said it should employ workers from across Northwest Indiana paying sustainable wages that can support a family "It's a million square feet but it doesn't feel that massive inside because they're so well-organized They have specific walking paths where it's safe to walk from one area to another while forklifts run in and out," he said It's the slower season now after Christmas and they're working out the bugs It's very impressive with the size and magnitude."   which bills itself as "Chicago’s Original Italian Beef," is opening a second location in the Region The Berwyn-based chain is building a new restaurant next to Family Express on Silhavey Road in Valparaiso the principal at Merrillville-based Commercial In-Sites Buona Beef was recently named one of Chicagoland’s favorite Italian Beef places along with Al’s Buona Beef has been around for more than four decades but has expanded more aggressively in recent years opening locations across Chicagoland and franchising to owner-operators It’s had high-profile sponsorships of the Cubs and White Sox including the Buona Beef races pitting the fleet-footed and not-at-all-plodding Cheesy Beef Juicy Beef and Hot & Sweet Beef in an all-out mad dash to the finish line on the exploding scoreboard at Guaranteed Rate Field It took over the former Krispy Kreme location on Indianapolis Boulevard in Schererville in 2017 Buona also eyed a Crown Point location in Beacon Hill that has not come to fruition It’s the second largest Italian Beef chain in Chicagoland after only Portillo’s Buona is building a new restaurant at 2910 John Howell Drive Valparaiso Building and Code Enforcement Director Vicki Thrasher said Construction of the 4,700-square-foot restaurant is estimated to cost $833,780 “The builder is Keystone Planning & Design,” she said “I am not sure when construction will be completed.” pepper and egg sandwiches and other Chicago street food The menu has expanded in recent years to include bowls and vegan plant-based versions of its signature Italian Beef red with marinara sauce or the Buona Way in which it’s doused in gravy with an extra spoonful splashed on top For more information, visit buona.com The bakery previously served up freshly baked bread just off the Old Lake County Courthouse square in downtown Crow Point But it closed during the pandemic and was replaced by the Sakura KJ Sushi & Hibachi Steak House Great Harvest had a location at the intersection of Ridge Road and Hohman Avenue in Munster signed a lease to open a new location at 10420-10430 Broadway in the Crown Village East development at Summit and Broadway Lasser said it’s the hottest area in Northwest Indiana right now for new retail development due to the population growth in Crown Point and neighboring Winfield as well as the nearby Interstate 65 interchange Great Harvest is a Montana-based chain known for breads like its Honey Whole Wheat an ancient Egyptian grain bread made with honey and salt Great Harvest will be located at the end of a strip mall and have a drive-thru which recently bought the franchise rights to Northwest Indiana “I’m extremely excited for them as this is a great location and one of the few drive-thrus available in Northwest Indiana,” said Brett McDermott of Crown Point-based Latitude Commercial “The community has anxiously been waiting for Great Harvest to return and the Smiths are excited to get their doors open and offer their wonderful products to our residents.” Great Harvest will open a bakery and cafe sometime this summer serving breads that are milled and baked daily like its signature Cinnamon Chip Bread soups and a variety of seasonal and specialty breads in addition to the signature staples that will be available daily The bakery also will do catering and wholesaling “We have been looking for the right business opportunity for a few years When we found Great Harvest and saw their mission and values we knew that this was exactly what we wanted to build and grow in our community,” said Elise Smith The Smiths plan to open more Great Harvest locations in Northwest Indiana in the coming years For more information, visit greatharvestnwi.com Jennilynn’s Gluten Free Kitchen is now serving gluten-free food out of The Lincoln Kitchen in Valparaiso It will eventually offer takeout and delivery at the ghost kitchen facility billed as a “digital food court” at 704 Silhavy Road People can currently pick up cinnamon rolls when it takes over a coffee shop space at the entrance to the business GrubHub and other third-party delivery services People can currently order online and come in and pick the food up “It’s gluten-free for people who have to eat that way,” owner Jennifer Coen said “Everything is baked or made as close to traditional baking as possible with eggs vegan and non-dairy items for people who are allergic to dairy.” to the point where her doctor advised her to carry an EpiPen in case she went into anaphylactic shock So she set out to bake for people suffering the same condition She’s working on a variety of menu items like breakfast sandwiches She sees a growing need for more gluten-free fare where there’s an autoimmune reaction because the digestive process can’t break down the protein in wheat “More and more people are discovering they have it or are allergic to it.” Jennilynn’s Gluten Free Kitchen also will have coffee It will operate a kitchen in the back for making gluten-free foods for pickup and delivery that’s not shared with anyone else to prevent cross-contamination It also soon will have a coffee shop at a counter by the entrance where walk-in traffic can grab a caffeinated drink or a quick meal to-go “This is a place to come to get a treat,” she said “A lot of the gluten-free food in grocery stores is nasty cupcakes and other baked goods made from scratch.” She hopes to eventually sell her goods at mom-and-pop places across the United States and Whole Foods Supermarkets She’s working to eliminate all artificial flavors and colorings to meet Whole Foods’ rigorous standards “It would benefit people with different illnesses that prevent them from eating gluten,” she said “But I hope it’s food people can just enjoy for the taste of it if they give it a shot There’s a lot of people with something wrong with them where they can’t digest gluten and I believe there’s 100% a need for it.” Coen started the Facebook Group NWI & Beyond… Gluten Free Living where people can talk about their diets share recipes and voice their opinions of gluten-freed foods “good She’s also working to copyright the slogan “Gluten-Free Yummies Satisfying Tummies.” “Gluten conditions are not going away,” she said “This gives people something enjoyable to eat that’s safe with no cross-contamination.” For more information, email jennilynnsglutenfree@gmail.com, find Jennilynn’s Gluten Free Kitchen or vist thelincolnkitchen.com The Super Bowl bowling alley closed near downtown Crown Point late last year and soon will be replaced with a new office development Bowlers rolled in the old-school lanes there for decades often while nursing a cold one from the Final Frame bar “After 25 years of being in service to the Crown Point community we have decided to close our doors,” the owners posted on social media “We want to thank the Crown Point community for their support all these years The countless families that celebrated birthdays and special occasions with us the businesses that allowed us to host their events the schools for letting us be a destination for fun trips and summer gym preschools and different groups and organizations that we have had the pleasure of creating and hosting events with.” “To the youth league coaches and many league staff volunteers we appreciate you helping bring up the next generation of bowlers that went on to our Crown Point high school and middle school bowling teams and to the boys and girls thank you for keeping this sport alive,” the owners posted on social media “Most importantly we would like to thank our staff over these many years We have had some amazing people come through our doors for some it was the first job they ever had None of this would have been possible without all of you and we are honored that we had the chance to be a part of all of your lives.” If you would like your business to be included in a future column, email joseph.pete@nwi.com A massive $11 billion Amazon Web Services data center officially broke ground in New Carlisle Amazon is leasing a gargantuan 1-million-square-foot building in The Silos at Sanders Farm off Interstate 65 that will be its second distribut… The developer who brought a 1 million-square-foot Amazon distribution center to Merrillville is planning to build another massive business par… "The epicenter of economic development is now here in Merrillville," Council Member Shawn Pettit said High School Sports Extra - Hanover Central Outlasts Illiana Christian in Sectional Opener This edition of High School Sports Extra is provided in partnership with The Times VALPARAISO — Merrillville concluded its regular season with the team’s worst record in more than a decade Bo Patton’s squad finished with a 5-18 record that included an 11-game losing streak Patton said that fortunately for the Pirates the slate is wiped clean once the postseason tips off “We’ve got a lot of guys who believe in the system – even in the midst of losing,” Patton said “Pressure can sometimes get to the guys when you’re wearing a Merrillville jersey the Pirates won two consecutive games for the first time this season Merrillville (7-18) beat Valparaiso by three points in Tuesday’s sectional opener They then came out with a 58-46 semifinal win over Hobart Friday night “I’m really proud of the team — it’s a real brotherhood over here,” senior Kelvion Brown said after the Pirates win “If you bond with each other it gives you a chance to do a lot of things on the court that other teams can’t do.” followed by junior Josiah Jones who recorded 11 he knows he has more fight to give at Saturday’s championship Merrillville will play Portage (19-5) at 6 p.m but Brown and senior Jalen McAlister have faith this time will be a much different matchup “No one thinks we’re going to win but we’re just going to come out with good energy,” Brown said McAlister returned to the court this season after not playing the previous two years When deciding whether he should make a comeback for his senior year his biggest fear was failing in the big moments He was pivotal in the third quarter recording six points for the Pirates limit turnovers and rebound we can win the game – we just have to give each other a shot.” Knowing Portage is the favorite heading into Saturday Patton said they’ll try to slow down the Indians’ offense “Portage is very good and a really well coached team,” he said “They’ve got a really good team with the Wellman brothers and O’Mari Evans Andrean's Jerry Triplett and 21st Century's Jacolby Donaldson fight for possession of the ball on Friday in Hebron 21st Century's Terrence Hayes makes a fast break on Friday in Hebron 21st Century's Derek Scott hits two over Andrean's James Finley on Friday in Hebron 21st Century's Kayleb Young dunks late in the fourth quarter on Friday in Hebron 21st Century's Jamarion Kelly guards Andrean's Jerry Triplett on Friday in Hebron This edition of High School Sports Extra is provide… Eric Kundich guided the Trojans to their first regional title since 2003 in his first season with the program the more you can pull from those and not get too high or excited," coa… that guy smiles more than anyone I've ever seen," coach Clint Swan said Cupcakery & Bake Shop was one of seven grantees statewide to receive funding from Indiana Grown The Merrillville-based business received the funding to promote its products at trade shows nationwide awarded a total of $25,000 to the grantees for trade show exhibitions Trade shows offer exposure to customers and business-to-business clients travel expenses and set up costs can be barriers to participation The grant was designed to alleviate some of those costs to ensure Hoosier businesses are highlighted and Indiana-made products can be enjoyed nationally and internationally grants were awarded to businesses with commercially ready products who want to expand portable cupcakes come in a variety of flavors have a long shelf life and can be shipped nationwide is a certified Minority/Women-owned Business Enterprise Cute as a Cupcake! and other grantees will be attending the National Restaurant Show in Chicago and the Snacks and Sweets Expo in Indianapolis The Indiana Grown program has more than 1,500 members who grow process or produce agriculture related products The initiative educates consumers on the importance of buying Indiana Grown products and helps Indiana farmers and producers sell more products Indiana Grown members and partners include farmers You must be logged in to post a comment A developer has preliminary plans to invest up to $900 million to develop data centers that could create hundreds of jobs in Merrillville which also developed a data center in Dekalb has approached Merrillville about building a data center campus with nine buildings It's eying a 180-acre site on 101st Avenue east of Deep River Town spokesman Chas Reilly said the project could create up to 270 jobs Karis is working to make sure it can get enough power from NIPSCO Merrillville's new Data Center Citizen Advisory Committee endorsed the idea of a data center campus on 101st Avenue development professionals and town officials They discussed issues like economic benefits "I am extremely pleased with the turnout and the level of engagement from our citizens at our initial meeting,” Town Council President Rick Bella said in a news release issued before Tuesday's council meeting and it became evident that many of these fears have already been mitigated through the advancements in modern data center design." Karis is developing the data center but will not operate it “We are so thankful for the Town of Merrillville allowing us to participate in this advisory committee — it is very rare for a town to show this level of passion and engagement in the process We are optimistic that we can solve the power story on this project in the near term to really unlock a promising development in Merrillville — especially given our site’s existing infrastructure.” Council member Shawn Pettit linked the project to major developments like AmeriPlex at the Crossroads and the Silos at Sanders Farm “I’m very excited with the investment,” Pettit said in the news release “It’s a low impact/high reward development for the Town of Merrillville It will also create job opportunities for the Merrillville residents which is always a priority for myself and the rest of the Town Council.” He said that the project was in the early stages and the big issue would be ensuring that NIPSCO could provide enough power to the site The existing transmission lines can service the first two buildings but more transmission lines will have to be extended to build all nine buildings and Karis will have to pay $500,000 for an infrastructure study It's estimated the project could generate up to $9 million in property tax revenue while having a minimal impact on town services the Town of Merrillville and our governmental leaders played host to a diverse group of concerned citizens industry professionals and planners — as well as business owners and our police and fire protection professionals — to help chart another path forward for our town in one of the fastest growing industries: information storage,” Plan Commission member Brian Dering said in the town's news release data centers have shown immense growth and investment in other parts of the country and have proven to be good neighbors to their communities Merrillville has the opportunity to lead the way forward by adding this valuable resource here in Northwest Indiana.” Amid a surge in artificial intelligence and other data consumption tech companies have proposed pouring billions into data centers in Indiana which has one of the most favorable tax policies for such facilities in the country Chesterton nixed a data center project at a former golf course after residents raised concerns A look back at Region businesses that closed in 2023 most beloved and most influential craft beer bars closed after more than a decade and is being reimagined as a new concept The landmark 88-year-old castle-shaped White Castle in Whiting is coming down to be replaced with a newer A longtime staple in downtown Crown Point poured its last drink The longtime Westforth Sports gun shop is closing The Silver Line Building Products plant at 16801 Exchange Ave Brewfest in Highland will close in what's been called "an end of an era." David's Bridal filed for bankruptcy and could close all stores if no buyer emerges to save it The 88-year-old Whiting White Castle will be remembered with displays at museums in two different states the "millionaire's club" met every morning in the corner booth of the historic 88-year-old White Castle at Indianapolis Boulevard and 119th Street in downtown Whiting The landmark restaurant served its final slider Tuesday One of Northwest Indiana's most popular and enduring hobby shops is looking for a buyer after the longtime owner died closed in downtown Whiting after a run of several years Calumet Fisheries on the far South Side of Chicago is temporarily closed after failing a city health inspection Just days after reopening after city health inspectors shut it down Pepe's Mexican Restaurant is no mas in Valparaiso Beer Geeks in Highland rebranded as B-Side Bar & Lounge and then closed within a few months Troubled retailer Bed Bath and Beyond will permanently close its Valparaiso location as it shutters more stores nationwide as it looks to restructure and shrink its footprint to save the struggling business Peoples Bank has shuttered its branch in downtown Hammond Viking Artisan Ales will soon pour its last craft beer at its Merrillville taproom Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom is closing after 15 years at one of Northwest Indiana's most prominent highway interchanges Walmart is closing its big-box store in Homewood is laying off 215 workers in Chicago and shuttering a plant it acquired two years ago Ginuwine will trot out hits like "Pony" at Festival of the Lakes Two more data centers are being proposed for Merrillville where a $900 million data center is already under consideration The Merrillville Pirates traveled to meet the Warsaw Tigers for shot to play for the state championship on the line The Tigers struck first with a short drive from Drew Sullivan Merrillville responded with an explosive 75 yard run from Jac’Quarious Johnson Warsaw defense stepped up later in the half with an interception by Tristan Wilson Sullivan again ran it in from 22 yards out to put Warsaw on top 13-7 The Pirates punched back with a 35 yard TD pass to Dermont Bogard to pull ahead 14-13 before halftime Warsaw responded in the second half with a field goal and later a 36 yard pick 6 by Heady Cohen The Tiger defense stepped up again with a fumble recovery by Gavin Schultz Warsaw defense intercepted another pass and later added touchdown runs by Reed Tucker and Duncan Brody followed by a 2 point conversion to Tucker to finish off the Pirates Warsaw Tigers will travel to Indy for the first time in school history to face Decatur Central for the 5A crown The Merrillville Pirates traveled to Portage Friday September 13 to take on the Indians in a conference football game John Peters number 11 intercepted the ball and ran 98 yards to score a touchdown Portage would go on to score two touchdowns this evening but that was not enough Merrillville ended up with 3 interceptions and one fumble recovery this evening The Portage Indians defeated the Merrillville Pirates 21-0 in a girls softball matchup on Tuesday will travel to Valparaiso to face the Vikings on Wednesday evening the 0-3 Pirates will visit the Crown Point Bulldogs Two people were killed at a Luke gas station Saturday morning sources familiar with the investigation said An official from the Lake County Coroner's Office takes a photograph of the inside of the Luke gas station where two people were killed Saturday morning A yellow evidence marker can be seen on the ground inside the store Investigators meet outside a Luke gas station off of U.S A police officer raises the yellow caution tape surrounding Luke gas station to let a Lake County Coroner's Office truck into the crime scene just after 12 p.m MERRILLVILLE — Two people are dead after a Saturday morning shooting at a Luke gas station in Merrillville the Merrillville Police Department said the shooting was the result of a murder-suicide stemming from a domestic matter Both victims suffered fatal gunshot wounds Officials are withholding their identities pending notification of family Authorities responded to reports of shots fired at the gas station the Merrillville Police Department said in a statement they discovered two individuals deceased inside the store The two victims were "known parties to each other," police said The Lake County Coroner's Office told The Times Saturday evening it would not be releasing any information about the victims' identities or its ongoing investigation until at least Sunday as all family members have not yet been notified Police cars from the Merrillville Police Department and a vehicle and officials from the coroner's office were at the scene for several hours Saturday morning into the afternoon Yellow police tape cordoned off the entire gas station and evidence markers could be seen placed on the ground inside the store officials from the coroner's office could be seen placing the bodies of two deceased individuals into a truck Police said there is no current threat to the public The details of exactly what led to the shooting remain unclear "The Merrillville Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones affected by this senseless loss," the department said in a statement "Our thoughts are with them during this incredibly difficult time." A Luke gas station official told The Times there was one person working inside the convenience store when shots were fired They were unable to confirm whether that employee was involved in the incident Luke said it would comment further on the incident once local authorities complete their investigation The shooting is under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Merrillville police detective Alexander Van Rite at avanrite@merrillville.in.gov Come back to nwi.com for updates on this developing story Chesterton's Allison Van Kley and Kenedi Bradley battle Valparaiso's Delilah Kincaid for a loose ball on Saturday in Chesterton Chesterton's Novea Brandon puts pressure on Valparaiso's Cadynce Clark on Saturday in Chesterton Valparaiso's Delilah Kincaid is double-teamed by Chesterton's Novea Brandon and Elizabeth St Valparaiso's Lillian Barnes cuts a piece of the net after beating Chesterton on Saturday in Chesterton Guarded by Washington Township's Jaycee Jackson Morgan Township's Madelyn Lemmons looks to pass on Friday in Gary Washington Township's Gracie Little drives to the basket on Friday in Gary Westville's Hilary Labis fouls Marquette's Laniah Davis on Friday in Gary Davis scored 24 points in the Blazers' win on Saturday against Washington Township Westville's Hilary Labis and Marquette's Livia Balling wait for a free-throw rebound on Friday in Gary Westville's Hilary Labis gets a charging foul against Marquette's Marissa Pleasant on Friday in Gary Marquette's Addison Penziol guards Westville's Ava Fenters on Friday in Gary Attorney for the appellant Jan Berg makes her case to Appellate Judges Elizabeth F Felix during Appeals on Wheels arguments at Indiana University Northwest Friday The Subaru Solterra EV is on display at the Subaru National Park display at the Chicago Auto Show Professional driver Jeff Humberson explains the Ford Bronco's dexterity at the Chicago Auto Show Super cars are a popular attraction at the Chicago Auto Show The Subaru Outback is on display at the Subaru National Park display at the Chicago Auto Show Lake Street in Miller seeing revitalization Two establishments include Caribbean Roots and The Brass Idol Estella's is located on Lake Street in Miller Lake Street in Miller seeing revitalization and includes Tiny's Coffee Bar are exhibiting at the Chesterton Art Center Behind is a painting by Billy of his daughter Hammond Central's Indiah Hutchinson blocks a shot attempt by Crown Point's Ava Richie on Tuesday in Crown Point Crown Point's Ava Richie squeezes past Hammond Central's Valencia Miller and Ciyah Thomas on Tuesday in Crown Point Crown Point's Ava Punak hits two over Hammond Central's Indiah Hutchinson on Tuesday in Crown Point Riding Shotgun with the Crown Point Fire Department The crashes occurred on Interstate 65 and Interstate 94 according to an Indiana State Police dispatcher Luis Sanchez-Espinoza pleaded guilty in October to the cocaine and illegal reentry charges Thirteen spent shell casings were recovered at the scene according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Lake Criminal Court on Thursday The suspect allegedly confirmed to police he was driving the vehicle in the video The Lake County Coroner's Office has identified the two people killed Saturday morning in what police describe as a murder-suicide at a Luke s… "The death of my brother has left a major void in my family," Patsy Mata wrote "Carlos always had a smile on his face and was always willing … The pileup occurred in "white-out conditions" near mile marker 61 The car had been reported stolen in September from a valet parking lot in the West Loop in downtown Chicago The "imminent threat" caused to the drivers forced police to "disable" the car before it could injure oncoming drivers MERRILLVILLE — Three police officers were injured Tuesday morning after stopping a wrong-way driver in a chase that began on local roads but spread to Interstate 65 and the Indiana Toll Road a hotel in the 1300 block of 83rd Avenue just off I-65 Merrillville officers saw the car driving north near the 9200 block of Broadway — southwest of the hotel — but the driver did not pull over when police tried to stop the car the driver entered I-65 northbound and led the pursuing police on a chase that continued onto the Indiana Toll Road The driver briefly left the toll road at the Broadway exit but reentered in the eastbound lanes while driving westbound The "imminent threat" caused to the drivers on the highway including the police officers chasing the suspect led to the order for officers to "disable" the fleeing car before it could injure oncoming drivers "We had to take immediate action so nobody would get hurt," Merrillville Police Chief Kosta Nuses said this guy had intentions of hurting people and himself." The maneuver caused non-life-threatening injuries to three Merrillville police officers who were all transported to local hospitals for treatment Merrillville Town Council President Rick Bella said No charges have been filed as of Tuesday afternoon "This is going to be a huge hurdle because we don’t have any extra (cars) we don’t have any extra officers," Nuses said The department announced in September it would be forced to prematurely sell many of its new Dodge pursuit vehicles after catastrophic engine failures and months of waiting for Dodge to send the department new parts to make repairs In an open letter to the Merrillville community announcing the decision Nuses called the situation "disappointing" and "fundamentally unfair." the Merrillville Town Council said it is "understanding" of the police department's concerns "The panel is committed to ensuring public safety needs are met in the community," it said stepped in to fill patrol shifts while the injured officers recover The department will also rely on mutual aid agreements with other police departments to help out Merrillville's finest are going above and beyond to protect our residents and our community," Town Councilman Shawn Pettit said "Godspeed to the officers for a quick recovery." schemed together to distribute methamphetamine between November 2022 and… A federal judge sentenced a Chicago man Tuesday to 100 months in prison plus two years of probation after a jury found him guilty of possessin… "I'm using the arts to open people's minds to the possibility of being bilingual and multilingual," McKenya Dilworth Smith "The Indiana State Police congratulates Master Trooper Jeff Council and thanks him for his distinguished career and service to the citizens o… Security personnel at the school told police that "several" students had eaten gummies that were laced with an unknown substance A state trooper caught up to Lyndell Graham's car and tried to initiate a traffic stop near Cline Avenue Graham turned off his headlights acc… A man was working with soybeans in a silo at Kalvitas Farm in the 2200 block of West 203rd Avenue the Lake County Sheriff's Office said a pre… "Snow squalls" — brief but intense patches of snowfall that can severely reduce visibility — are expected to occur between 4 and 7 p.m Two people were shot outside a Citgo gas station in Merrillville Wednesday morning MERRILLVILLE — Two people were shot at approximately 11:00 a.m in the area of 61st Avenue and Harrison Street the Merrillville Police Department said Wednesday Both victims were transported to a local hospital for treatment "Merrillville police quickly determined that the incident was isolated and that there was no danger to the community," the department said in a statement Merrillville Police Chief Kosta Nuses did not respond to a request for additional details A truck caught fire near mile marker 10 on Interstate 80 Wednesday afternoon causing officials to close one lane of traffic in the westbound … A Valparaiso man had more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system when he nearly caused a T-bone accident with an officer on Tuesd… A Wannatah man was killed while working at a construction site in Lowell Tuesday afternoon when the arm and bucket of an excavator fell on top… A man was arrested early Saturday after he was caught inside a Casey's General Store that had already closed for the evening Thursday is Brendan McBride's 16th birthday He's spending it the same way he's had to spend nearly the last three weeks — in the hospital A 21-year-old Gary man was shot and killed inside a gold Jeep Cherokee late Wednesday night Gary Police and the Lake County Prosecutor's Homi… A car caught fire heading westbound on Interstate 94 in the outskirts of Chesterton Friday afternoon