In their second year as program sponsor to the local Girls on the Run council, NIPSCO also brings girl power. A recent independent study led by Dr. Maureen Weiss, an expert in Positive Youth Development, found that Girls on the Run’s intentional life skills curriculum and highly trained coaches positively impact girls’ lives by helping them increase their self-confidence, develop healthy relationships and feel good about themselves. Sixty percent of Girls on the Run participants rely on financial assistance in order to participate. NIPSCO’s financial support helps cover program-related costs such as: curriculum, healthy snacks, running shoes as well as

The Michigan City, Refuse Department will conduct its Annual Spring Clean-Up beginning on March 26, 2018. The Refuse Department requests that all residents separate the debris that is to be discarded into the following three (3) categories: Brush, limbs, shrubs, yard waste, and unpainted concrete (no black-top rubble); Rugs, lumber, furniture, mattress, and box-springs; and Appliances and tires. Tires can be rimmed or un-rimmed, and appliances include items such as stoves, refrigerators, air conditions, water tanks, etc. Please keep the above items separated as described above. Residents may place items on curbside or in the alleys, whichever is most convenient.

The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee voted in support of legislation co-sponsored by State Rep. Jim Pressel (R-Rolling Prairie) that would strengthen the penalties for individuals who fail to stop when a school bus stop arm is extended. When school buses stop to pick up or drop off children, their stop arms extend and lights flash to signal other drivers to stop as students get on or off the bus. Pressel said most drivers follow traffic laws regarding school bus stop arms, but some are either unaware of current law or disregard it. Currently, the penalty for an individual

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) is encouraging Hoosiers to plan ahead for extreme weather as part of Severe Weather Preparedness Week, March 17-23. IDHS encourages Hoosiers to build a disaster preparedness kit, identify shelter and practice emergency plans during this year’s preparedness week. As part of Severe Weather Preparedness Week, a statewide tornado drill is planned for 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, March 19. This drill provides a valuable opportunity for families, schools and businesses to practice severe weather emergency plans. To learn more about preparing for severe weather, visit GetPrepared.in.gov

Job seekers looking for employment in education are invited to a career fair Tuesday, March 19 at Purdue University Northwest (PNW) in The James B. Dworkin Student Services and Activities Complex on the Westville Campus at 1401 S. U.S. 421, Westville, IN 46391. Sponsored by PNW’s Career Center, the fair is from 10 a.m. to noon with opportunities for follow-up interviews with employers between 1-6 p.m. Community members may register at the door and professional business attire is encouraged. More than 30 organizations will be represented, ranging from public school corporations to charter schools. Many are from northwest Indiana, while

Troopers and motor carrier inspectors (MCI) conducted a two day blitz stopping semis on the Indiana Toll Road rest area east and west bound at the 37 mile marker and at the east and west bound weigh scales on I-94 at the 28 mile marker. On Wednesday, March 13, 2019, a three hour blitz at both east and west bound weigh scales was conducted targeting semis that bypassed the weigh scales (going by the scales without being weighed) when the signal relayed that all trucks were required to enter.  During this period they inspected twenty-seven (27) trucks, resulting in fifty

Get ready for the 21st Annual Michiana Humane Society Spring Fling. This year the theme is "Spring Time in Paris", and it will be held at Traditions Event Center at 2107 Welnetz Road, in Michigan City on Saturday, April 13. There will be cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and live music beginning at 5pm central, dinner by Froehlich's beginning at 6:30pm, and a live auction conducted by Scheerer McCulloch Auctioneers at 8pm. You can now buy tickets online atwww.michianahumanesociety.org, mail your RSVP to the shelter, or call the shelter with your information. All proceeds benefit the homeless animals at Michiana Humane Society

Michigan City Mayor Ron Meer will be delivering his 2019 “State of the City” Address at the Michigan City Senior Center, located in Washington Park at, Two on the Lake, in Michigan City, on Thursday, April 11, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. The public is invited to attend.

Work is set to begin tomorrow on an intersection improvement project at U.S. 20 and SR 2 in Rolling Prairie. This project will see a “dogbone” interchange built at this location, eliminating the traffic signal and creating a bridge carrying motorists north-south with east-west traffic passing underneath. Roundabouts will be placed at the north and south ends of the bridge, creating the so-called “dogbone”. During the project, the corridor will be closed to north-south (LaPorte to New Carlisle) traffic between CR N 500 E and Oak Knoll Road, while east-west traffic (Michigan City to South Bend) will be one lane

With the heavy construction season around the corner, NIPSCO will be continuing its work to upgrade the electric and gas infrastructure across northern Indiana with nearly $660 million in planned investments this year. This reinvestment is part of NIPSCO’s overall ongoing modernization plan to ensure long-term safety and reliability for customers. Vast portions of the nation’s infrastructure system – including NIPSCO’s – were built in the post-World War II era. After more than 60 years, those systems are nearing the limits of their original design, and NIPSCO’s plan proactively addresses these critical areas before they become problematic. Among the types

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced the 2017-2018 Four Star Schools. Created by IDOE, the Four Star Schools designation recognizes great schools in Indiana. The Four Star School Award has been in existence for over 30 years. To receive Four Star designation, a school must receive an “A” on the state’s A-F accountability system and have excellent ISTEP pass rates. A total of 234 schools received the award. For more information regarding the Four Star School Award, please visit: www.doe.in.gov/accountability/four-star-schools. To view acomplete list of recognized schools, please visit: www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/news/2017-2018-four-star-list.pdf. Local schools on the list: Saint Patrick School - Chesterton Saint

The Michigan City Parks & Recreation Department announces that beginning Mon, April 1, Washington Park 2019 parking stickers will be issued at the North Pointe Pavilion in Washington Park, 6 on the Lake, Michigan City, IN  46360. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9 am-4 pm (excluding holidays), and on Saturdays from 9 am-12 noon beginning May 4th through July 27th. Stickers will be available at the Michigan City Senior Center FOR ONE DAY ONLY during their annual Trash & Treasure Sale to be held on Saturday, March 30th from 8am-12noon.  The Sale itself will continue until 1:00pm

The La Porte County Sheriff's Office has announced that it is now seeking applications for the Neil Thompson Memorial Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship is available to any senior scheduled to graduate this year from a high school in La Porte County who has been accepted to a college or university and will be studying law enforcement, criminal justice or a criminal justice related field. Applicants are required to submit an essay, no fewer than 500 words, on why they will be pursuing a career in law enforcement. The scholarship was established soon after the 1980 death of Patrolman Neil Thompson,

The Indiana Department of Education has announced the recipient of the 2018-2019 Title III Distinguished Indiana School District Award. Hamilton Southeastern Schools was chosen to receive this distinction for demonstrating a commitment to English Learner success through strategic programming, rigorous instruction, inclusive school culture, and beneficial partnerships with families and the community.  Hamilton Southeastern Schools was selected after a review of English Learner performance data from all public-school districts and charter schools, followed by a two-part interview process, including an on-site visit. For more information on Title III funding, please visit: www.doe.in.gov/elme/title-iii-language-instruction.

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) will offer its first Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) Summer Camp weekdays from Monday, July 8 through Friday, July 19 on the Hammond Campus. The PNW Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering will host the camp, which will offer high school students the opportunity to learn AI/ML concepts and implement them in fun game-based programming platforms. Participants will discover the science and engineering that runs their technology, and see how AI/ML techniques have improved many professional fields and created a number of job opportunities in the last few years. Camp details. The two-week session will last from

The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that nearly 3,400 Hoosiers will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and an estimated 1,100 will die as a result of the disease this year. Screening and early detection can save lives, and screening does not have to be expensive or uncomfortable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) is urging Hoosiers to get regular screenings and make healthy lifestyle choices to reduce their risks of developing the disease, which is the third-most commonly diagnosed cancer among

La Porte Hospital is opening the doors to its chapel for another “First Friday” concert. On April 5, at noon, the musical ensemble, Knit Together will be playing and singing its popular southern gospel and folk music. Instruments to be played for this performance include the soprano, baritone, and concert ukulele and a rain stick. Members of the group include Wayne and Lori Stefano, a local couple who have been married for nineteen years as well as Tammy Glanser who is married to her husband Gary. The Glansers are proud parents of three children and many grandchildren. Selections for the

The Indiana Department of Revenue (DOR) is warning taxpayers to be on alert when getting phone calls claiming they have unpaid tax bills. These phone calls are often scams designed to threaten individuals with some sort of law enforcement or legal action in order to get them to send money towards bogus tax bills. The federal government’s Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) reports that 14,700 victims have paid more than $72 million as a result of phone scams since 2013. Customers should be aware that DOR and the IRS will never: Call demanding immediate payment using a specific

Indiana’s unemployment rate stands at 3.5 percent for January and remains lower than the national rate of 4.0 percent. With the exception of one month when it was equal (October 2014), Indiana's unemployment rate now has been below the U.S. rate for more than five years. The monthly unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people seeking employment within the prior four weeks as a percentage of the labor force. Indiana’s labor force had a net increase of 7,613 over the previous month. This was a result of an increase

Work is set to begin Monday, March 18, on an intersection improvement project at U.S. 20 and SR 2 in Rolling Prairie. This project will see a “dogbone” interchange built at this location, eliminating the traffic signal and creating a bridge carrying motorists north-south with east-west traffic passing underneath. Roundabouts will be placed at the north and south ends of the bridge, creating the so-called “dogbone”. During the project, the corridor will be closed to north-south (LaPorte to New Carlisle) traffic between CR N 500 E and Oak Knoll Road, while east-west traffic (Michigan City to South Bend) will be