Jim Biggs

Upgrades continue at Porter County government facilities.

"It's in the heart of our downtown," Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas told the city council Monday. "We do events. We have a significant staff to promote, manage, sell tickets, and we think it's an important facility for our citizens, certainly."

Porter County is looking to beef up its gratuity policies, following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision. The court found that a $13,000 payment to former Portage Mayor James Snyder was not prohibited under the federal bribery statute.

A shelter for Porter County women and children facing housing insecurity is able to serve more people.

The Porter County Health Department is looking to improve public health by giving away bicycles. It's one of a number of programs the department hopes to implement with the infusion of Health First Indiana funding.

Laura Blaney told the rest of the commissioners Tuesday that she would't run again, when candidate filing opened Wednesday. "The advice I received as I was deciding whether or not to run tomorrow from one of the people I respect most in government was to ask myself if I could still make a difference here, and if not, where? Well, 'where' is to be determined, but it's time," Blaney said.

The Porter County Board of Health has another new member.

The proposed Malden Solar farm appears to be dead, at least for now. Developer NextEra Energy Resources did not appeal Porter County's rejection of its application before the deadline, according to County Attorney Scott McClure.

How much of a say the Porter County Board of Health should get in filling board vacancies was the topic of an ongoing debate during Monday's county commissioners meeting. State law currently requires county health boards to come up with a list of five candidates — but doesn't require the board of commissioners to choose from that list.

A contractor has been chosen for the first round of improvements at the Memorial Opera House. The Porter County Commissioners on Tuesday selected Berglund Construction Company for exterior masonry restoration and tuck pointing.