Councilwoman Janet Venecz

The Hammond City Council has agreed to borrow $9.6 million, to settle a lawsuit. A jury had awarded $25.5 million to James Hill for civil rights violations, but the city ended up negotiating a $9 million settlement while preparing for an appeal. On Monday, council members passed ordinances authorizing the city to issue the necessary bonds and spend the money.

Plans are moving forward for a downtown Hammond commuter rail station. The city council Monday agreed to appropriate grant funding from Indiana's Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) program for a future West Lake Corridor station.

The redevelopment of Downtown Hammond's Bank Calumet building continues to move ahead, but costs are going up.

Today: an extended conversation in the studio with Lake County Councilman Jamal Washington about the County Council's work and some of the issues that he…