When it comes to keeping highways clear from snow and ice, the Indiana Department of Transportation says it starts preparing long before the first flakes fall. INDOT Northeast District Public Relations Director Hunter Petroviak says training and planning start early in the fall, and crews constantly monitor weather forecasts once winter arrives.

“We get calls from people in our plats and subdivisions who say, ‘What are you doing? We’ve never seen a truck. It’s been three days.’ Well, we know that,” said Bob Thompson, the managing director of the county’s road commission.

“We have only one chance to redo our lakefront – one chance – because once it’s gone, it’s gone,” said Michigan City Redevelopment Commission Chair Sheila Brillson Matias.

Elkhart County’s Christmas Bird Count invites residents of all skill levels to help collect bird data used by scientists nationwide.

The South Bend Common Council Rules Committee held a rare public meeting Friday over a complaint that the council president was selling dogs at too young an age on Facebook.

“It really lets us focus on our mission and what we do, instead of only panicking about the bottom line,” said President and General Manager Amanda Miller Kelley.

The South Bend Redevelopment Commission earlier this month approved hiring a consultant to study whether a passenger platform can be built between existing tracks, and assess whether the passenger tunnel under the tracks is still structurally sound for passenger access. The city also plans to seek federal funding for design and planning.

The South Bend Redevelopment Commission on Thursday approved a deal to lend Washington-based developer Ancora $30.8 million to build a tech and innovation hub in the former South Bend Tribune building. The money will paid back by capturing new property tax, and state income and sales tax, generated there.

“It would mean a lot, in terms of labor and union jobs, in terms of building the stadium and everything that goes along with that — plus a lot of permanent jobs, which really gives an opportunity for young people to think about and have an opportunity to stay in Northwest Indiana and not look outside,” said Indiana State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago).

The Portage Township trustee has asked the Indiana Attorney General to investigate unsafe conditions at a downtown senior high-rise after heat outages and safety concerns.