The Times from Munster, Indiana • 82

FIND MORE LOCAL NEWS ONLINE AT NWI.COM IL I SUNDAY, MAY 9, 2010 I PAGE A3 CONTACT THE EDITOR: RICH BIRD, Asst. metro editor, rich.birddmwi.com, (219) 937-5741 In Crown Point (219) 662-5300 In Munster (219) 933-3223 In Portage (219) 762-4334 In Valparaiso (219)462-5151 1 BMiftrsh mfmfmmmmfiiTmmmmmmm TIMES COLUMN Shooting victim dies Kentucky man visiting family shot in April 17 robbery at Lansing hotel mmmmmMtm-: tun Lytle's room and demanded money, He took Lytle's cellular telephone and a small amount of cash from his wallet and shot Lytle in the abdomen with a handgun. "Nobody should lose their life over a small amount of cash," Detective Sgt. Scott Bailey said. Surveillance footage from the hotel and nearby businesses captured the two suspects fleeing the scene in a blue 1998 to 2002 Ford Escort ZX2 sedan.

Anyone with any information on the case or the car in question is asked to call Bailey at (708) 895-7106 or Detective Wilson Pierce at (708) 895-7159. tal Saturday morning, a result of the April 17 shooting at the Days Inn, 2249 Bernice Road. Police said they believed Lytle, who was able to provide officers with little information on the offenders and what took place that night, was the victim of an apparent armed robbery. Officers said Lytle was in Lansing for the weekend visiting family and it appears Lytle returned to his room at the wrong time. According to police reports, Lytle was targeted by two offenders, a man and a woman both believed to be in their 20s.

Shortly after 8:30 p.m. on April 17, the male suspect made his way into BY JEFF BURTON jeff.burtonnwi.com, (219) 933-3246 Lansing A Kentucky man found shot in his hotel room last month, died Saturday morning from his injuries, police said. According to a report from the Lansing Police Department, Reagan Lytle, 54, of Owensboro, died at an area hospi Venerating the true blue (I 0 1 BY MARK KIESLING Janiec still in mayoral pool or not? Will success spoil George Janiec? Janiec, who lives in Hammond's Hessville neighborhood, ran for mayor during the last election on the Republican ticket and came within an eyelash of knocking off incumbent Democrat Tom McDermott Jr. Janiec has been involved in community affairs for years and was able to tap into enough anti-incumbent sentiment to make what can only be called a very respectable showing at the polls. He made an even better showing at the polls during last week's elections, in which he won a nonpartisan seat on the Hammond School Board.

With three seats open and six candidates in the race, Janiec polled 19 percent of the vote to come in second only to incumbent Deb White, who took 21 percent of the vote. In fact, only White and Janiec came up with more than 3,000 votes, as the third winner, Lucin-da (Cindy) Murphy ended up with 2,916 tallies, or 18 percent of the vote. Now that Janiec holds office, it's going to be tougher for him to run for mayor against McDermott in 2011, which a lot of people expected him to do given his impressive showing the last time out. And that may be why McDermott called Janiec once his mortal nemesis to congratulate him on his School Board victory. With Janiec safely ensconced on the School Board, McDermott's chief rival either would vanish or leave himself open to claims of office jumping.

"I wished him well," McDermott said. "He said he wanted to work with our administration, and I said you can count on it. I am not going to let politics get in the way. Seriously, I wish him well on the School Board." Yes, but does Janiec still harbor thoughts of running for mayor in 2011 regardless? "You'd have to ask George that question," McDermott said. "But he's pretty happy.

He wants to dig in and help the School City of Hammond." So I did ask Janiec the question. Does he still want to be mayor next year? "It's unfair to everyone to say I am getting ready for any mayor's race," Janiec said. "Now the focus is on being a school trustee. It would be nice to speculate, but that doesn't do anything for us today." Nor does it answer the question, so Janiec is honing his politician-speak nicely. But he did say for the time being, at least, his focus is on the schools, and he hopes he can work with the McDermott administration to address and hopefully solve problems common to the school city and the civil city.

During his brief conversation with McDermott, Janiec said the mayor told him that being on the School Board is more important than being a city councilman. "I don't know if he was fishing or not. I'll leave that interpretation up to you," Janiec said with a slight laugh. "I just passed it off." Maybe. But the mayor is a smart political cookie, so you can bet if he thinks there is a big, dangerous fish in his pond, he's going to be the first one to cast in a line and try to reel him in before he can do any damage.

The opinions are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at markknwitimes.com or (219) 933-4170. 8 Highland officers remember two who died in line of duty KYLE TELECHAN PHOTOS I THE TIMES ABOVE: Highland police officers salute fallen officers Saturday during an annual memorial service in Highland. RIGHT: Ryan Markley, son of fallen Highland police Officer Robert J. Markley, speaks about his father Saturday during an annual memorial service at Highland's Markley Park.

The event, hosted by Fraternal Order of Police Donald R. Sheppard Lodge No. 122, honors fallen officers Donald R. Sheppard, who was killed in the line of duty in 1971, and Robert Markley, who was killed in 1978. Ji i rXrm Family offers reward in death Lynwood man killed in apparent carjacking near Hammond park The 22-year-old Lynwood man was in the driver's seat of his pearl white Cadillac STS sedan when he was shot to death in an apparent carjacking attempt near Hammond's Harrison mother, Sonya Anderson, said.

Police said a maroon Plymouth-style minivan followed Jhavaris Anderson, his girlfriend and a cousin from the River Oaks shopping mall in Calumet City to the 5900 block of Hyslop Place. The aspiring musician, who recorded as "Jhay Stone" and "King Bugg" and was a father of three, was on his way to his grandmother's house, but he never made it. "He had come by for lunch the day before," his grandmother Shirley Boykin See REWARD on Page AS ANDERSON BY STEVE ZABROSKI Times Correspondent HAMMOND I Somebody wanted Jhavaris Anderson's car badly enough to kill him for it. Now his family is offering a $5,000 reward to find the person responsible. Park early in the evening of Jan.

5. "We're putting up the reward in the hope that someone will come forward," his She let von I 'i A sweet keepsake starting at only 1 -ixl -4- C-V.