The northwest Indiana park has seen a surge in visitors during the past two years, and the new fees would help finance park maintenance, public safety and programming, officials said.

The wildfire took place in Gary in Miller Woods and was contained Saturday evening.

The grant from the National Park Service moves First Christian Church closer to the $2.4 million needed to repair the Columbus church's 160-foot tower.

Ogden Dunes residents argue protections previously installed are exposed to Lake Michigan and at least one section of a steel wall is failing.

The National Park Service says the controlled fires promote the park's unique ecosystems that include prairies, marshes and dune-lined beaches.

The U.S. House approved proposal failed to advance from a Senate subcommittee and expired Thursday when the 2-year term of the 115th Congress ended.

The grant from the National Park Service and other agencies will allow the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology to fully address preservation threats to artifacts recovered from the Angel Mounds State Historic Site.

One will be used to complete an archaeological survey of about 80 acres around historic homestead sites within Versailles State Park that may expand what's known about early statehood.

National Park Service acting director P. Daniel Smith says the administration wants to limit that designation to certain types of sites.

In a Senate subcommittee hearing Wednesday, National Park Service Acting Director P. Daniel Smith disagreed with plans to make Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore a national park.