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Chicago Tribune
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
Commissioners approve Lake County sheriff vehicle SWAT upfit
The Lake County Board of Commissioners approved a sheriff's department request to upfit a SWAT Unit van in a 2-1 vote Wednesday. The Lake County Sheriff's Department requested a 2024 Ford Transit Cargo Van in its SWAT Unit to be upfitted by Tillman's Vehicle Accessories for $67,360.79. The other quotes that came in were from 10-75 Emergency Vehicles for $77,316 Summit Bodyworks for $129,000, and EVI for $148,249. Board president Commissioner Mike Repay, D-3rd, said he voted against the upfit because when the commissioners approved the purchase of the van the sheriff's department did not make clear it would spend more money to upfit the vehicle. 'It's a lack of honesty with the Board of Commissioners with what their plan is for their asset,' Repay said. Repay also expressed his concern with the sheriff's department over emphasizing specialties by purchasing SWAT-style vehicles, boats and ATVs. Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez told the Post-Tribune upfitting the vehicle will allow the department to better serve the 18 communities in its jurisdiction. With final board approval, Martinez said he's 'optimistic' that the vehicle will be operational by the fall. The funding for the upfitting will be paid for with recovered drug money awarded to the sheriff's department by the courts, Martinez said. Martinez previously said the vehicle was purchased in January 2024 for $74,000. The van will assist the department's operations division with law enforcement and search and rescue operations, as well as a standalone vehicle for transport, communications and coordination, Martinez said. In a May letter to the commissioners, Martinez wrote the vehicle should be upfitted to enhance officer safety, like protective lighting to improve personnel security, and boost operational efficiency, like its equipment with communication systems to help with coordinated responses. Additionally, the upfitted vehicle would strengthen community trust by displaying the department's 'commitment to preparedness, enhancing public confidence,' Martinez said. Upfitting the vehicle would also increase its long-term value by reducing the need for future maintenance costs and extend its service life, he said. 'This asset is essential to enhancing the Lake County Sheriff's Department tactical response capabilities, ensuring officer safety, and strengthening community security during high-risk operations,' Martinez wrote in the commissioner's letter. When asked by the Post-Tribune, Martinez said the department has 'several' special operations vehicles dedicated for specialized use, and many are marked, armored units. The vehicles are used to support ground, marine and aviation units, Martinez said, as well as to coordinate internal communications and operations with outside agencies during emergencies and special operations, like search warrants and barricaded individuals. 'Our current fleet lacks a vehicle with these advanced tactical features, limiting our ability to respond effectively to incidents such as hostage situations, active shooter events or barricaded suspects,' Martinez wrote in the commissioner's letter. So far in 2025, the Lake County SWAT team has executed more than 25 high-risk operations across Lake County, including search warrants and felony arrests, Martinez said. 'This upfitting will allow us to provide our tactical officers with a specially-equipped vehicle that can aid us in executing these operations safely and effectively,' Martinez said. 'This unmarked vehicle will allow us to conduct pre-operation surveillance and arrive at target destinations without attracting attention, which can be crucial in situations where countersurveillance may be a concern.'
Daily Record
15-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Over 17,000 ScotRail trains cancelled in last year according to new data
New data has revealed the amount of ScotRail services cancelled in 2024/25. Over 17,000 ScotRail trains were cancelled in the last year as revealed in a shocking freedom of information request. A total of 17,491 services were cancelled in 2024/25 according to data released after a request by the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Some 306,120 trains did not arrive within a minute of their scheduled arrival time, which the party said accounted for 45 percent of all trains. Another 71,691 were late by five or more minutes - around 10 percent of all trains. The Lib Dem transport spokesman at Holyrood Jamie Greene said the Scottish Government must deliver a transport system that works for all of Scotland. He said: "When it is done right, train travel is swift, reliable and reduces traffic on our roads. "Unfortunately these figures show that a considerable number of passengers are shelling out huge sums of money to travel by train, only to find that some services simply don't arrive. "It's more than three years since the SNP Government took over responsibility for Scotland's trains but we are still seeing tens of thousands of trains cancelled or running late. "If we want to coax people out of their cars, that has to start with a service that runs on time." Mr Greene urged the Government to work with ScotRail to drive down train delays. He added: "We also want to see Government working with councils to explore new lines, especially in areas where public transport links are poor, and new options for two/three-day-a-week season tickets. "That's how to make Scotland's railways an attractive prospect for tourists and commuters alike." The Scottish Government and ScotRail have been approached for comment. In March, we reported that ScotRail have paid out almost £2.5million in compensation to passengers since the SNP government nationalised it three years ago A Freedom of Information request showed that delay compensation has increased every year since the firm was brought into public hands in April 2022. ScotRail has paid out £2,495,000 in Delay Repay compensation since April 2022. £804,000 was paid out in 2022/23, £908,000 was paid out in 2023/24, and £783,000 was paid out in 2024/25 Compensation paid out for 30-59 minute delays has increased every year. £88,000 was paid out in 2022/23, £104,000 was paid out in 2023/24, and £108,000 was paid out in 2024/25. Pay-outs for 60-119 minute delays has increased every year. £211,000 was paid out in 2022/23, £224,000 was paid out in 2023/24, and £228,000 was paid out in 2024/25. Over £1.5m was paid out for 120+ minute plus delays since April 2022. It was noted that anyone delayed by 30 minutes or more is entitled to claim money back through the ScotRail website or mobile app due to their Delay Repay Guarantee. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Repay bullish on Lake County Dems' future
Organizing the party and communicating its message further are two of the major goals for Michael Repay as he steps into the role of Lake County Democratic Party Chairman. In Lake County, there has been a lot of energy among Democrats to get involved and even run for office, Repay said, so his focus will be to help those people get into positions that fit their strengths, whether that's running for office or helping the party in other ways. 'There's a firehose of Democratic energy in our county, and probably in the state and the country I'd say, and leadership needs to take that and focus it in so that they can make a positive change,' Repay said. On Saturday, the Lake County Democratic Party held its reorganization meeting and party members selected Repay, who ran unopposed, to replace former chairman Jim Wieser. Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman will remain vice chair, Dyer Democratic Precinct Committee secretary Taylor Gibson is secretary and Lake County Assessor LaTonya Spearman is treasurer. Gibson beat incumbent secretary and Lake County Council President Christine Cid. Spearman beat Paul Aguilera and Brandon Dothager to be treasurer as the incumbent Peggy Holinga Katona did not seek reelection. Repay, who is also a Lake County Commissioner, said with the county party reorganization, and upcoming reorganization at the district and state levels, Indiana Democrats have an eye on expanding Democratic reach in the Republican supermajority state. 'We are a blue county, and I think we can be bluer,' Repay said. 'There's Republicans that are elected in Lake County and I think we need to put up folks to run against them that are qualified and eager to participate.' A lot of people have been reaching out to the party to ask about joining political organizations or running for office, Repay said. As chairman, Repay said he will work toward engaging with people where they reach out, spanning from in-person discussion to social media messages, to help them engage with the party in the way they'd like to. Repay said he embraces the idea of 'a big tent' within the party, so he will work toward ensuring that everyone within the party has a space to discuss their thoughts and opinions on how to move forward. 'As long as we are all moving in the same direction and we can play off of each others' strengths and work towards a common goal then we can do it,' Repay said. 'What we need to do is find the common ground and work towards the common ground. If people want to be a little bit more one way or the other, then they're free to do that. It's a big tent. It's a big party.' Through redistricting, Republicans in Indiana have gerrymandered, or shifted the political boundaries to favor their party, Repay said. Over the years, that has decreased the number of Lake County Democrats in the statehouse, he said. 'It's not good government when you marginalize voters by packing different both ethnic and political groups into certain districts and then splitting up a solid basis of interests into multiple districts just so you can have (a supermajority),' Repay said. Ahead of 2026, Repay said the party will focus on organizing volunteers and structures to help more Democrats win seats in the state legislature. Closer to the election, Repay said the party will focus on 'boots on the ground' efforts to knock on doors and engage all voters in districts with Republican legislators at the same time. In the current legislative session, Republicans are unconcerned about public schools, local government, and funding police and fire service, Repay said. In two years, area Republican legislators will have to explain to voters their positions on those matters, he said. Meanwhile, Repay said the Democratic Party will be preparing to talk to those same voters to present counterpoints. 'There will be no free lunch for Republicans in Lake County in 2026,' Repay said. 'If they expect to win those districts, they are going to have to communicate their message to the residents in the district and absolutely the Democratic Party is going to communicate our message to those people in those districts.' Fajman said Repay will bring a new perspective as the party moves forward. 'He's going to bring a lot to the table in terms of media and different ways for the party to be seen,' Fajman said. 'I'm excited to see him work in this capacity.' Lake County Republican Chairman Randy Niemeyer said he and Repay have worked well together in recent years as Niemeyer is a councilman and Repay is a commissioner. They will 'work diligently on the process of elections' and ensure they serve the people of Lake County, Niemeyer said. Wieser said Repay was the 'perfect person' to be the next chairman. After Saturday's meeting, Wieser said he, Repay and Fajman talked about election board matters, upcoming caucuses in Gary and Hobart that Repay will run, and Repay meeting with city and town chairmen. The fact that Repay ran unopposed speaks volumes of the confidence the party has in him, Wieser said. 'He'll take the organization to another level,' Wieser said. 'He has all the right relationships with people to run it.' akukulka@
Chicago Tribune
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Repay bullish on Lake County Dems' future
Organizing the party and communicating its message further are two of the major goals for Michael Repay as he steps into the role of Lake County Democratic Party Chairman. In Lake County, there has been a lot of energy among Democrats to get involved and even run for office, Repay said, so his focus will be to help those people get into positions that fit their strengths, whether that's running for office or helping the party in other ways. 'There's a firehose of Democratic energy in our county, and probably in the state and the country I'd say, and leadership needs to take that and focus it in so that they can make a positive change,' Repay said. On Saturday, the Lake County Democratic Party held its reorganization meeting and party members selected Repay, who ran unopposed, to replace former chairman Jim Wieser. Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman will remain vice chair, Dyer Democratic Precinct Committee secretary Taylor Gibson is secretary and Lake County Assessor LaTonya Spearman is treasurer. Gibson beat incumbent secretary and Lake County Council President Christine Cid. Spearman beat Paul Aguilera and Brandon Dothager to be treasurer as the incumbent Peggy Holinga Katona did not seek reelection. Repay, who is also a Lake County Commissioner, said with the county party reorganization, and upcoming reorganization at the district and state levels, Indiana Democrats have an eye on expanding Democratic reach in the Republican supermajority state. 'We are a blue county, and I think we can be bluer,' Repay said. 'There's Republicans that are elected in Lake County and I think we need to put up folks to run against them that are qualified and eager to participate.' A lot of people have been reaching out to the party to ask about joining political organizations or running for office, Repay said. As chairman, Repay said he will work toward engaging with people where they reach out, spanning from in-person discussion to social media messages, to help them engage with the party in the way they'd like to. Repay said he embraces the idea of 'a big tent' within the party, so he will work toward ensuring that everyone within the party has a space to discuss their thoughts and opinions on how to move forward. 'As long as we are all moving in the same direction and we can play off of each others' strengths and work towards a common goal then we can do it,' Repay said. 'What we need to do is find the common ground and work towards the common ground. If people want to be a little bit more one way or the other, then they're free to do that. It's a big tent. It's a big party.' Through redistricting, Republicans in Indiana have gerrymandered, or shifted the political boundaries to favor their party, Repay said. Over the years, that has decreased the number of Lake County Democrats in the statehouse, he said. 'It's not good government when you marginalize voters by packing different both ethnic and political groups into certain districts and then splitting up a solid basis of interests into multiple districts just so you can have (a supermajority),' Repay said. Ahead of 2026, Repay said the party will focus on organizing volunteers and structures to help more Democrats win seats in the state legislature. Closer to the election, Repay said the party will focus on 'boots on the ground' efforts to knock on doors and engage all voters in districts with Republican legislators at the same time. In the current legislative session, Republicans are unconcerned about public schools, local government, and funding police and fire service, Repay said. In two years, area Republican legislators will have to explain to voters their positions on those matters, he said. Meanwhile, Repay said the Democratic Party will be preparing to talk to those same voters to present counterpoints. 'There will be no free lunch for Republicans in Lake County in 2026,' Repay said. 'If they expect to win those districts, they are going to have to communicate their message to the residents in the district and absolutely the Democratic Party is going to communicate our message to those people in those districts.' Fajman said Repay will bring a new perspective as the party moves forward. 'He's going to bring a lot to the table in terms of media and different ways for the party to be seen,' Fajman said. 'I'm excited to see him work in this capacity.' Lake County Republican Chairman Randy Niemeyer said he and Repay have worked well together in recent years as Niemeyer is a councilman and Repay is a commissioner. They will 'work diligently on the process of elections' and ensure they serve the people of Lake County, Niemeyer said. Wieser said Repay was the 'perfect person' to be the next chairman. After Saturday's meeting, Wieser said he, Repay and Fajman talked about election board matters, upcoming caucuses in Gary and Hobart that Repay will run, and Repay meeting with city and town chairmen. The fact that Repay ran unopposed speaks volumes of the confidence the party has in him, Wieser said. 'He'll take the organization to another level,' Wieser said. 'He has all the right relationships with people to run it.'
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wieser turns over the reins of Lake County Democrats
November 2016 was a rough month for Democrats, particularly those in Lake County, with the election of Republican President Donald Trump and the federal indictment of former Lake County Democratic Party Chairman and former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich, said Lake County Democratic Party Chairman Jim Wieser. Sitting with fellow local Democrats nearly 10 years ago, Wieser said he told the group that he believed the next county party chairman should not be an elected official. That way, the chairman could focus more on the party and not worry about conflicts with other officeholders, he said. What he wasn't expecting, Wieser said, was Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman suggesting he should be chairman. Wieser was first elected in 1975 to serve on the Highland Town Council, where he served for two terms, before being elected in 1983 to the Lake County Council, where he served for one term. After that, Wieser said he served on appointed boards and worked as a municipal lawyer in Lake County. 'Believe me, I was not looking for this. I just raised the issue,' Wieser said. 'I said, 'No, it's not going to be me.' That's not why I brought it up. I brought it up just because I thought from an idealistic position it made sense.' Ultimately, Wieser decided to run. In 2017, Wieser ran against Lake County Commissioner Michael Repay, D-3rd, and the voting ended in a tie. Buncich had to cast the tie-breaking vote and choose Wieser, he said. Wieser said he was the first chairman who wasn't also serving in an elected office since at least the 1950s. But, after eight years at the helm, Wieser won't be seeking reelection as party chairman when party leaders meet Saturday for a reorganization meeting. Repay is running unopposed to be the next chairman. Repay said Wieser did a great job leading the party and focusing on the different voices and opinions of its hundreds of members. 'Jim took the party from a state of disarray and brought a lot of order to the party,' Repay said. 'He leaves it better than he found it.' The first 30 days on the job were tough, Wieser said, because he quickly learned that the party was bankrupt and it was announced that the building where the party's offices were located would be demolished. At the same time, Wieser had to work toward strengthening the party as its previous chairman was facing criminal charges for bribery. 'We needed to rebrand and let people know that it wasn't going to be business as usual,' Wieser said. 'We needed to be more transparent, more honest and more out in the community.' To start, Wieser said he and the party's executive team worked toward attracting younger, diverse candidates into political office. That goal started strong in 2018 with former State Rep. Chris Chyung, then 25, beating incumbent Republican Hal Slager and former State Rep. Lisa Beck beating incumbent Republican Julie Olthoff, Wieser said. In 2020, Slager and Olthoff reclaimed their seats against Chyung and Beck, respectively, and they currently serve as state representatives. Building off the wins of Chyung and Beck, Wieser said he focused on expanding Democratic control on the Crown Point City Council. In 2019, Zack Bryan and Dawn Stokes won elections for Crown Point City Council, Wieser said. That meant Crown Point, which was a Republican stronghold for generations, had a Democratic mayor and four Democratic members on the council, he said. Democrats saw younger, diverse candidates in 2019 in Hammond and Gary, Wieser said. In Hammond, council members Barry Tyler and Katrina Alexander — two young, Black candidates — won their seats. In Gary, former council president Tai Adkins and former Gary councilman William Godwin, also two young, Black candidates, won their seats, he said. In 2019, Democrats won two seats on the Munster Town Council, Wieser said, which he was proud of because Munster has a strong Republican base. In 2023, the Democratic candidates lost in a Republican sweep. 'You can't sit back. You can't rest on your laurels. You have to go out and you have to have a plan and you have to execute the plan,' Wieser said. 'All of the sudden we were getting younger people involved at the levels they needed to be involved in.' When former State Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, D-Munster, said she wouldn't seek reelection in 2020 in order to run for the U.S. Congress, Wieser said he talked with different people to encourage them to run to succeed her. A few weeks before the filing deadline, Wieser said he got a call on a Saturday night from Mike Andrade, who he had never met before. Andrade told him he would like to run for Reardon's seat, and he invited Wieser to his home the next day to meet him and his supporters. That Sunday, Wieser said he met Andrade and about 30 of his supporters, which included many people Wieser knew. Andrade already had a campaign committee together, Wieser said. 'The passion in his voice, the conviction in his voice is a rarity to hear from people that want to run for office,' Wieser said. 'I am looking around going 'this is otherworldly.' This just doesn't happen when someone runs for office and in the 24 hours that you knew who he was he's got a well-oiled machine going.' Rep. Andrade, D-Munster, said Wieser is a personable chairman and always available to meet with or talk with the members in the party while balancing his personal and family life. '(The party) will miss his experience,' Andrade said. 'His tenure of decades of political experience here in Lake County and knowing how to maneuver through those challenges.' The chairmanship also came with challenges, Wieser said, like when former Hobart Mayor Brian Snedecor, a former city police chief, decided to switch from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in August 2020 following the George Floyd protests. Within the first year of his chairmanship, Wieser said the state legislature consolidated precincts in Lake County, which reduced the number of precincts by one-third. Wieser said the gerrymandering led to the Republican's supermajority in Indiana. Beyond that, Wieser said it was challenging to be the leader of 17 political organizations, hundreds of elected officials and hundreds of precinct committeemen and vice committeemen and keep them focused on moving forward. To do that, Wieser said he worked with the party's vice chair Fajman, treasurer Peggy Holinga Katona, and secretary Christine Cid to keep everyone on track. Wieser worked with Fajman when he was the Democratic attorney for the Lake County Board of Elections and Registration for over a decade and when he was chairman for eight years, and he enjoyed working with a 'brilliant election administrator.' Fajman said Wieser has a vast knowledge of Lake County politics, which was helpful in moving the party forward. On the election side, Wieser was an advocate for early voting and worked toward making voting more accessible to registered voters, she said. 'I'm proud of the work we've done as an organization under his leadership,' Fajman said. While Wieser is stepping down as chairman, he'll still be around to offer advice and help the party, Fajman said. 'He'll still give input,' Fajman said. 'He's not going anywhere.' When working on elections, Wieser said he worked well with Republican Party Chairman Randy Niemeyer and former chairman Dan Dernulc. Whenever a small dispute came up, Wieser said he and both Republican chairmen resolved things quickly and effectively. Dernulc, who is now a State Senator, said he and Wieser always worked together in a cordial way. 'Jim and I are on different teams, but we were always professional and we always got along,' Dernulc said. Niemeyer, who serves on the Lake County Council, said Wieser was easy to work with, and he's sure Wieser will still serve the county as an attorney. 'I appreciate his service to his party, but in a larger sense his service to the county as well,' Niemeyer said. Wieser said he is leaving the party in a strong financial position and with headquarters in Griffith. Wieser said he's also proud of the outcomes the Lake County Democrats have achieved in the last eight years. 'It's an unbelievable feeling to know that you've been part of putting something together that you believe is terribly important to the continued success of communities, the success of our country, and the success of our state,' Wieser said. Wieser said he decided not to seek reelection because he felt it was time to step down. In September, he was going through some family documents and he came across a newspaper article from 1974 about him creating the Highland Young Democrats group. 'I don't want to be that person who hangs around too long,' Wieser said. 'I want to say I did what I could. I believe I did the best that I could.' When he announced he wouldn't seek reelection, Wieser said he'd hear from people that they couldn't be chairperson because it is a thankless job. 'I am thankful for this thankless job,' Wieser said. 'I wouldn't trade the eight years for anything.' akukulka@
