Today: Porter County Sheriff Dave Reynolds joins us to talk about the just-completed work on the Indiana Jail Overcrowding Task Force, created to look into the issues surrounding county jail overcrowding and how to resolve them. The task force, made up of legislators, state officials and judges, toured the Porter County Jail during a series of meetings held around the state and Porter County's way of dealing with the issues received favorable attention. The report can be found here . We also

Today: Indiana University Northwest professors Charles Hobson and Micah Pollak are in the studio to talk about a study that they and colleague Bala Arshanapali conducted on military-friendly businesses -- and learned that hiring veterans is good for business. Merrillville town councilman Shawn Pettit talks about the community center project that they just broke ground on recently. The land, which was once the site of a drive-in theatre along Broadway, will be home to several athletic fields as

Today: On this "Reporters' Roundtable," we talk to Dan Carden and Bill Dolan of the "Times" and Carole Carlson with the "Post-Tribune" about the stories they put out in print and online. Dan's stories include updates from the most recent Lake County Council meeting and Gov. Eric Holcomb's 2020 legislative agenda. Carole covered stories from Gary Common Council and Airport Authority board meetings that include Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson. Bill Dolan covered the East Chicago City Counncil meeting

Today: We continue our conversations with northwest Indiana residents interested in the U.S. Representative seat now held by Pete Visclosky. Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. is one of the candidates who will appear on the May 2020 primary election ballot. He talks about his experience, including that of mayor, and his views on the issues. We have another edition of "Green Fleet Radio," supported by South Shore Clean Cities and NIRPC. And Lake County Councilman Charlie Brown is with us to talk

Today: Another candidate for local Democratic Party voters to consider in the May 2020 primary election for U.S. Representative joins us in the studio -- attorney and activist Sabrina Haake. She talks about herself and the issues that she feels are most important, including building a "green economy" in northwest Indiana. We have another edition of "Building Northwest Indiana" from the Construction Advancement Foundation and another conversation from the Welcome Project at Valparaiso University.

Today: We begin our conversations with northwest Indiana residents who want to succeed Congressman Pete Visclosky. The longest-serving U.S. Representative from our area decided not to seek re-election and several have already made their intentions known to be on the Democratic Party ballot in the May 2020 primary election. Valparaiso attorney Jim Harper is one of them. We also bring back our conversation with Dee Dee White with Ivy Tech Community College, about the series of casino dealer

Today: On this "Reporters' Roundtable," we talk with Meredith Colias-Pete of the "Post-Tribune" about her story on the concerns over the growing erosion on Portage's Lakefront and Riverwalk and the impact on the Pavilion. "Times" business reporter Joseph Pete is with us to cover the stories he's put out in print and online, including the flooding at the U. S. Steel Gary Works and a year-in-review review of Region retail businesses. It covers those businesses which opened and closed in 2019.

Today: Indiana University Northwest professor Jack Bloom's book "Class, Race and the Civil Rights Movement" is now in its second edition, and the subject is still as important today as it was decades ago. We bring back our conversation with professor Bloom -- along with conversation with IU Northwest professor Maureen Rutherford on the Gary campus' neuroscience degree program. We also have a look at the changes coming to Hoosier cities and towns from the November elections from Andy Downs of

Today: Peter Novak with the Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors talks about the latest report on northwest Indiana home sales and their median prices, issued last month for October, and a look ahead to 2020 local home building and sales and buying trends. Indiana Public Broadcasting's Jill Sheridan has a report on the Affordable Care Act in Indiana and about supporters who help Hoosiers apply for healthcare insurance. We also have this week's edition of "Building Northwest Indiana,

Today: Valparaiso University geography professor Mike Longan talks about the research into the exurban culture in northwest Indiana that led to his studies into the geography of country music and the better understanding of rural working-class culture. He's been able to travel to other countries to learn more and wants to write a book about the subject. Erika Dahl with the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority joins us in the studio to talk about "A Christmas Story Comes Home," the