Carole Carlson

2 days ago | chicagotribune.com | Carole Carlson

Indiana education officials are laying the groundwork for a new A-F accountability system they said is aligned with what Hoosiers agree are the characteristics important to lifelong success. The State Board of Education welcomed the first draft Wednesday on the K-12 measure that will go into effect next year to better prepare students for the future, they said. It dovetails with the state’s newly revised diploma that becomes effective with the Class of 2029.

3 days ago | chicagotribune.com | Carole Carlson

The Lake Station Republican Party is hosting a now-pardoned Jan. 6 insurrectionist at a Saturday speaking engagement at a local church. The cost to hear Kash Kelly is $40 at the Calvary Baptist Church, 2945 New Jersey St.Lake Station GOP chairman Garry Trawick declined comment on the event, which coincides with Northwest Indiana Pride’s celebration of Pride Month at Riverview Park, a few miles eastward.

3 days ago | chicagotribune.com | Carole Carlson

Northwest Indiana Pride Festival organizers are gearing up for a second year of festivities celebrating Gay Pride Month on Saturday and Sunday at Riverview Park in Lake Station. This year’s event includes more entertainment vendors and has drawn more sponsors and food trucks, said Leah Peksenak, of Portage, president of NWI Pridefest. “This year’s slogan is ‘bigger, louder, prouder,’” she said. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, is slated to address attendees at noon on Sunday, she said.

5 days ago | chicagotribune.com | Carole Carlson

The Purdue University Board of Trustees will vote on a proposal Friday in West Lafayette to freeze tuition on in-state students, but raise rates for out-of-state and international students, in select majors. At Purdue Northwest’s Hammond and Westville campuses, a release said the proposal includes a 3% per-year tuition increase for non-resident and international students.

5 days ago | chicagotribune.com | Carole Carlson

Bolstered by last year’s success, the Northwest Indiana Summer Reading Labs state-funded program aimed at preventing learning loss has expanded from 22 to 30 sites and expects to enroll 900 to 1,000 students. Deborah H. Black, of the education nonprofit DHB and Associates and the Urban League of Northwest Indiana, saw their program funding increase from $1.2 million to $1.5 million, Black said Monday. The enrollment deadline is June 16. Information is available at northwestindianalearninglabs.com.