Around The Region

State to probe Lake County social services agency\nINDIANAPOLIS -- State officials have launched an investigation into alleged improprieties and questionable financial practices at a Lake County social services agency.\nNorthwest Indiana lawmakers were informed of the investigation last week during a closed-door briefing with John Hamilton, secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, The Times of Munster reported Sunday.\nThe investigation of LCEOC Inc., formerly known as the Lake County Economic Opportunity Council Inc., comes in the wake of a review of the not-for-profit agency conducted in November, which uncovered numerous irregularities.\nLCEOC provides transportation, in-home health care and other services to low-income, elderly and disabled residents in Lake, Porter, Starke, Pulaski, Newton and Jasper counties. It is heavily funded by state and federal taxpayer dollars.\nA state investigation found that the agency pays its upper management staff higher than average salaries, has given profitable, no-bid contracts to members of its own board and holding company and fails to pay vendors in a timely manner.\nThe state alleges the agency's governing board has failed to fill the vacancies for representatives of low-income residents in Porter, Pulaski and Starke counties.\nMeanwhile, upper management staff members were paid higher than average salaries when compared to similar organizations, state investigators said.\nThe state also said LCEOC failed to follow proper procedures in purchasing or leasing vehicles, land and property and in contracting for services. Also, much of the work doled out to contractors should normally be done by the agency's management staff.\nInvestigators also said the agency failed to make timely payments to vendors providing services to the elderly, including transportation, in-home care and nutrition services.\nMerrillville city supporters try to\nget message out\nMERRILLVILLE, Ind. -- Supporters of a plan to have Merrillville become a city already are lobbying voters with bumper stickers and a Web site.\nThe issue won't be decided until the Nov. 5 general election.\nOne of the supporters, resident Lee C. Strawhun, said the Web site will have information and research about the implications of becoming a city, and the bumper sticker might have a slogan and the Web address.\n"We're going to start small for now," Strawhun said. "We're in no particular rush"