The Times from Munster, Indiana • 1

RIDGE FINAL WEATHER WEDNESDAY july 22, ms An edition of The Times serving Munster, Highland, Griffith and Calumet Township iri nrursjil LIVING a 1 rvj Stop making dull home videos! Cool reliefl Scattered showers and storms may be on the way. Ful report, A3 It's not a documentary, so leave out the scenery clips, put people into the shot and concentrate on the little things. D-l Can your husband take care of the kids? 8567 Of course he can, but he won't do it your way. D-l 6 SECTIONS, 44 PAGES Newsstand: 50 cents www.thetimesonllne.com iddOfli ft rLe)Uo TODAY IN THE TIMES A quick look at the news LOCAL U.S. attorney asks FBI to investigate allegation of commissioner's payoff broker and longest-serving of the three sitting commissioners, has strongly denied he accepted money for the contracts, though he verified the signatures on the phone contracts are his.

"I have referred that matter to the FBI," DeGuilio said Tuesday. "They will review it and determine if there is sufficient reason to conduct a full-scale investigation." FBI officials at the bureau's Merrillville office declined to com ment on whether an investigation has been undertaken. But sources indicated agents at the Merrillville FBI office have sought formal permission from the Justice Department to proceed with an investigation. That permission is expected to be granted by week's end, sources said. Clay could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.

A message left on his voice mail was not returned. DeGuilio said he contacted the FBI after a July 12 story in The Times disclosed owners of an Illinois-based independent pay phone, firm claimed to have paid Clay at least $1,000 at a Nov. 26, 1996, meeting. The meeting took place at the Olympia Fields, office of Clay's business associate, Maggie Taylor, a site locator in the pay phone industry See INVESTIGATE, A-4 BY JOE CARROLL Times Staff Writer U.S. Attorney Jon DeGuilio has asked the FBI to look into a payoff allegation against Lake County Commissioner Rudolph Clay.

Two phone company executives said they paid at least $1,000 cash to Clay in November 1996 in exchange for pay phone contracts at the Gary and East Chicago courthouses. Clay, a Gary Democratic power- Rudolph Clay Lake County, commissioner denies accepting at least $1,000 cash for pay phone contract Jon DeGuilio Attorney says FBI will decide if there's sufficient reason to conduct full probe into payoff allegation Powerball players line up for chance at $125 million The world's second-largest jackpot lures folks from across the state line, causing headaches for some businesses. B-l NATIONWORLD Are cruise lines safe from a fire at sea? Some safety experts have warned of possible disasters at sea, despite tougher regulations CONSTRUCTION SEASON IN FULL SWING iV i a Church directed to design new sign Munster zoning board delays request until St. Paul Episcopal Church reworks proposed sign. on the cruise industry.

A-3 SPORTS Cubs' Kerry Wood hurls 11 strikeouts against Braves BY KYLE PETERSON Times Staff Writer Kerry Wood shut down NL-leading Atlanta and beat former Cub Greg a ALDINO GALLO THE TIMES A demolition team walks away from the remnants of an 1-65 bridge In Merrillville, which was demolished Tuesday morning. The leveling Is part of a $3.4 million project by the Indiana Department of Transportation. STORY ON A-4. Highway headaches an epidemic Maddux as Chicago defeated the Braves 3-0. C-l First-round leader struggles at windy golf tournament was AMATfl'P brutal," said J.D.

Goering, who maintained the top spot Tuesday with a 142. C-l BUSINESS Region's June casino earnings take a hit Road construction, infrastructure projects cause traffic delays, detours. Lake County construction areas Interstate 8094 (Borman Expressway). Resurfacing work from Burr Street to just east of 1-65 through November. Bridge work on the westbound lanes will go on until mid-August.

Work in the eastbound lanes might not start until after Labor Day. Grant Street at 1-8094. Intersection work is taking place until November. The eastboundsouth exit ramp is closed. MUNSTER St.

Paul Episcopal Church agreed Tuesday to work with its neighbors before erecting a sign that might prove to be an eyesore for a residential neighborhood. The church, located at the corner of Columbia Avenue and Park Drive, had asked the town to approve a sign that would be nearly twice the size of signs usually allowed in residential areas. But the Board of Zoning Appeals tabled the request until the church offered a design more suitable to the neighborhood. "I would like you to go back and restudy your demands," board member Richard Lasky said. The town allows signs no larger than 45 square feet in a residential neighborhood.

The pro-. posed sign would be 66 square feet mounted on a large brick wall. Church member and past senior warden Richard Gardner said the church needs a larger sign to replace the small wom-out sign that now sits at the corner of Columbia and Park Drive. The new sign should be larger and advertise the church's Cloister in the Woods banquet hall and St. Margaret Mercy Adult Day Care Center, he said.

The original design would have created a separate sign for each activity and would face Park Drive, a residential street. "It's to identify where the facilities are and how to get to them," Gardner said. But neighbors said the church's activities have become See SIGN, A-4 A gaming analyst says family vacations iTj HAMMOND (22) -JUJL TT GARY j) HOBARTT SCHERERVILLE (53) BY LU ANN FRANKLIN Times Correspondent Want to get anywhere in Lake County in a timely manner? Hire a helicopter. Anyone who has ventured out of their driveway anytime since April knows that many major north-south and east-west roads are being repaved, re-curbed, re-sewered or re-routed. So are many of the not-so-major thoroughfares.

Of course, many Lake County residents are finding just getting in and out of their driveways a challenge because their residential streets are also on the repair list. In addition, some of those traffic tie-ups aren't caused by road construction, but by the repair of See HIGHWAY, A-4 may have contributed to lower riverboat revenue during last month. E-l Paid pickets march in front of 3 area grocery stores Cline Avenue at 1-8094. Interchange work to end in November. Ramps at 1-8094 are open.

1-65, 12 mile north of U.S. 30. Bridge removal to be completed in November. (Photo above) U.S. 30, from just east of U.S.

41 continuing 2.2 miles west, to be concluded in November. Traffic will be switched in August when crews begin work on the westbound lanes. Ind. 51, from just north of 1-8094 to U.S. 20.

Adding traffic lanes; slated for completion in November. One lane is open in each direction. Grant Street, from 49th Street to 43rd Street. Complete closure for storm sewer construction. Broadway, from 15th Avenue to Fourth Avenue.

Resurfacing work limiting traffic to one lane in each direction. Calumet Avenue from 165th Street to U.S. 12 20. Resurfacing to be completed in November. One lane is open in each direction.

tana Cline Avenue from 1-8094 to U.S. 12. Five bridges being rehabbed; one lane is open in each direction. Union says hired pickets aren't that unusual, but some workers say they shouldn't be there. E-l Source: Indiana Department of Transportation Firefighter scans patient records Girl dies after falling from moving vehicle INDEX Advice D-6 Bridge F4 Classified Crossword (Classified) F-3 Crossword (Newsday) D-6 Horoscope D-6 Movies D-2 Obituaries Opinion A-6 Stocks Is Fire chief imposes restrictions after woman alleges worker got home number from hospital info.

BY DEBORAH LAVERTY Times Staff Writer report Saturday with the Merrillville Police Department and has called city and hospital officials to complain about unauthorized people having access to a patient's records. "I didn't take my daughter to the hospital to get a date," Fields said. "I took her because I was concerned for her care." Her complaint, under investigation by both the Hobart Fire Department and St. Mary Medical Center, already has resulted in a change in how much access to patient information local firefightersparamedics will have. Hobart Fire Chief Polak said the emergency medical crews no longer can be at the nurses stations, unless their presence is specifically requested by the hospital staff.

"We put out a memo to paramedics as See RECORDS, A-4 Cops say her mother was driving while intoxicated BY KEN KOSKY Times Staff Writer PORTER A young Porter girl died Monday night when she fell out of the passenger's side window of a moving car and was run over by the rear tire. Danielle Timm, 6, of Frances Street, died of multiple injuries to the head, Porter County Coroner John Evans said. The accident occurred at 10:50 p.m. Monday on The Times is printed with soy color Inks, exclusively on recycled paper. Franklin Street, just west of Waver-ly Road.

Porter police said the girl was sitting on the window edge, with her body outside of the car. Police don't know how long she was hanging out of the car, but she fell out while the car was westbound at about 20 mph. "She lost her balance, fell to the pavement and was struck by the rear wheel of the car," Porter Police Chief Len Smith said. The girl was pronounced dead a half hour later at Porter Memorial Hospital. See FALLING, A-4 "I didn't take my daughter to the hospital to get a date" Anne Relds HOBART An invitation for a date with a stranger was the farthest tiling from the mind of a Merrillville woman when she visited a hospital emergency room.

But that's what happened to Anne Fields, 23, the day after she had taken her 7-yearold daughter to St Mary Medical Center to have her examined for chest pains. Fields alleges a Hobart firefighterparamedic helped himself to emergency room records to find out her home telephone number and then called her about 1:30 p.m. Friday. She filed a harassing communications.