CROWN POINT

Gary man, 27, is guilty of robbing M'ville bank

A Gary man was convicted Friday of robbing a Merrillville bank, the Lake County prosecutor's office said.

A Lake County Criminal Court jury convicted Kenneth Vaughn, 27, of three felonies -- robbery, resisting law enforcement and theft -- and a misdemeanor after it deliberated about 40 minutes.

Vaughn robbed the Firth Third Bank on Sept. 5 on Broadway in Merrillville. He was captured in Gary after a high-speed chase, prosecutors said.

Vaughn faces a maximum term of 12 years in prison when he is sentenced Dec. 4.

CROWN POINT

Griffith man sentenced to prison in wife beating

A Griffith man was sentenced to four years in prison for beating his wife, the Lake County prosecutor's office said.

Mark Castrejon, 33, pleaded guilty Oct. 10 to felony battery. Castrejon's wife had fought prosecutors on giving a deposition against her husband.

Castrejon was with his wife Oct. 11, 2007, in the New Chicago home they shared at the time, when he punched and kicked her while she was on the kitchen floor, prosecutors said.

As a result of the beating, his wife was hospitalized with a fractured hand and a fractured eye socket.

CROWN POINT

County to borrow $2M to settle pending suits

The Lake County Council voted Monday to borrow up to $2 million to resolve allegations against county employees accused of harassment, brutality, neglect and other misconduct.

Lake County Attorney John Dull told council members Monday the bond issue will settle at least 20 cases in which lawsuits and labor complaints are pending or threatened against county government.

He said most of the cases involve law enforcement. Most of the rest are workman's compensation claims.

CROWN POINT

Firm retained to refit government buildings

The Lake County Council agreed Monday to retain Ameresco, a Framingham, Mass., energy service company, for the second phase of $17.2 million in renovations to county government's aging infrastructure.

Ameresco has been working for more than a year on repairing roofs, windows and inadequate electrical systems; removing asbestos; and making county buildings more accessible to the disabled.

The council asked Ameresco and Johnson Controls, of Milwaukee, to bid on the second phase of the work.

Ameresco has suggested the county would realize annual energy-consumption savings of $208,000.

CROWN POINT

Hiring freeze is lifted to fill one of four vacancies

The Lake County Council voted Monday to allow Lake County Coroner David Pastrick to hire a new investigator but deferred his request to fill a vacancy left by the departure of a photographer. Pastrick asked for both positions to be filled.

"We are the busiest coroner's office in the state. Yesterday I had teams going from Shelby to Hammond. I'm begging you to not let this position go unfilled," Pastrick said. Councilman Ted Bilski said Pastrick could renew his request in December.

The council also postponed action on requests by the sheriff to fill a job opening in his court security division and his work-release center.

CROWN POINT

County to pursue more cost-cutting measures

Lake County Council President Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, said county officials soon will make public new recommendations for cutting millions of dollars from next year's spending levels.

She said the County Finance Committee, which includes her and several other county officials, met recently to discuss budget cuts for the sheriff, coroner and assessor offices.

Cid said the sheriff hasn't made significant enough spending reductions in spite of Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez's claim he is making $2 million in cuts.

She said the county assessor postponed his proposed budget until after the Nov. 4 election, where voters decided to consolidate the North Township assessor's duties with the county assessor's office, but left offices in Center, St. John, Ross, Hobart and Calumet townships with independent budgets.

HOBART

Chicago Heights worker charged in store thefts

A 24-year-old Chicago Heights woman, Stefanie L. Perez, was charged with theft in Lake County Superior Court on Thursday.

Perez, who works at the Icing store in Westfield Southlake Shopping mall, was observed by a district manager taking bags of items from the store she didn't pay for, court documents state.

The store manager said she learned, through a mutual acquaintance, that Perez was coming home with bags full of merchandise it didn't appear she had paid for.

On Nov. 4, the store manager said she paid a visit to Icings and from an exterior window saw Perez exiting with three shopping bags full of items.

When the store manager asked for receipts, Perez said she didn't have any but was going to purchase the items later.

Perez later admitted to taking those items, valued at more than $1,000, from the store as well as items on two other occasions, court documents state.

HOBART

Hammond woman, 28, accused of fraud, theft

Tamika Renay Mays, 28, of Hammond, was charged Monday in Lake County Superior Court with fraud on a financial institution, fraud and theft.

Court documents indicate Mays fraudulently obtained access to the Fifth Third Bank account of a man in whose house she had stayed while living with his brother.

The transactions, which were made on 19 separate occasions, occurred at the bank at Westfield Southlake Shopping mall, as well as Walgreens drugstores in both Schererville and Merrillville.

The transactions totaled more than $1,000, court records indicated.

HAMMOND

Calumet College to hold Veterans Day event

Calumet College of St. Joseph will hold its annual Veterans Day ceremony on at 11:30 today in the main lobby.

The college is at 2400 New York Ave. in Hammond. Call Diane Bailey at (219) 473-4305 for information.

SCHERERVILLE

Mausoleum reopening, Veterans Day rite today

A Veterans Day service and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new mausoleum will take place today at Memory Lane Park, 6305 W. U.S. 30.

The service begins at 3 p.m., and an open house for the mausoleum will continue until 6.

Following a welcome from Jack Schaap, pastor of First Baptist Church in Hammond, the Schererville Chamber of Commerce will conduct the ribbon cutting for the mausoleum. The mausoleum was severely damaged after an August 2007 storm.

The Veterans Day service will follow with music and remarks from Schaap, as well as Lake County Sheriff Roy Dominguez and Schererville Town Council President Hal Slager.

SCHERERVILLE

American Legion needs food, money donations

American Legion Post 485 and the ladies auxiliary is accepting donations of nonperishable food items for distribution in Thanksgiving baskets.

People are asked to drop off food or monetary donations between noon and 6 p.m. at the post. Donations should be made by Nov. 20. Those who want to mail a check can send it to the post at 7485 Burr St., Schererville, IN 46375. Checks should be made payable to Post 485.

CROWN POINT

Woman faces battery against police charge

Kerri L. Reynolds, 35, was arrested Sunday after officers who were dispatched to her home on the 300 block of Hoffman St. Sunday found her screaming profanities at them, police reports said.

Officers were sent to the home on a domestic disturbance call between Reynolds and a friend who had left the area before officers arrived, reports said. While officers were figuring out the situation, Reynolds continued to yell and scream at officers after being told to quiet down, reports said. She was arrested for disorderly conduct and once at the jail, she was charged with battery on law enforcement after an officer allegedly was kicked.

MERRILLVILLE

Ward 2 meeting nixed; December date mulled

A meeting scheduled Wednesday at Town Hall for residents in Ward 2 in Merrillville has been canceled.

Town Councilman Richard Hardaway said the meeting will be sometime in December.

MERRILLVILLE

Police are investigating blaze that damaged car

Police said a vehicle fire Sunday morning in the 3900 block of 73rd Avenue is currently under investigation.

The fire occurred about 6:30 a.m. and it may have been intentionally started, police said.

Anyone with more information about the fire can contact Merrillville police at (219) 769-3531.