John Seibert has been named as the City of Valparaiso’s representative to the Shared Ethics Advisory Commission, announced Mayor Jon Costas. Seibert was nominated by Mayor Costas and approved by the Valparaiso City Council to sit on the commission, which brings ethics awareness and training to communities throughout Porter and Lake counties. “John Seibert has demonstrated a commitment to ethics and the highest community standards. We are grateful to have him serve in this advisory role,” said Mayor Costas. Seibert served the City of Valparaiso for more than 34 years, retiring as Parks Director in 2023. Under his leadership, the

The Michigan City Police Department is congratulating Probationary Officer Alexander Henry on his graduation from the 232nd Class of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. Officer Henry completed 16 weeks of training at the academy in Plainfield and will continue his training in the department’s Field Training Program for the next several months. WIMS congratulates Officer Henry.

The Portage Streets and Sanitation Department announced on their social media that starting Monday April 22, crews will be lane striping in the Ameriplex east of U.S. 249. The department is asking drivers to expect delays and to use extreme caution if you must travel in the area. The department did not specify how long this work will take.

Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas G. Carter has announced the recipient of the 2023 Indiana State Police Trooper of the Year. “This honor is bestowed upon a deserving Trooper that exemplifies the department’s lofty standards and expectations as related to the overall mission," the ISP said in a press release. “Leadership, productivity, service to the community both on and off duty, and assigned responsibilities are just a few areas taken into consideration when nominated.” The 2023 Indiana State Police Trooper of the Year is Trooper Dennis L. Griffin. “Trp. Griffin’s performance and accomplishments during 2023 are worthy of such recognition,

A Cedar Lake woman was treated for serious injuries after the SUV she was driving crashed into a tree near 109th and Bell in Center Township.  The crash happened April 18 just after 11 p.m.  A preliminary investigation revealed the Volkswagen Tiguan was traveling westbound on West 109th Avenue near the 7000 block when it left the roadway and struck a tree.  The SUV came to rest in a ditch. When officers with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department arrived, they had to break a window to check on the driver.  Police say she was unresponsive and seemed to be struggling

The Michigan City Human Rights Commission is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Humanitarian of the Year. This award was first presented by the Michigan City Human Rights Commission in 1981 to Charles Westcott. The most recent award recognized Nila Williams in 2019 and has not been presented in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the Commission has decided to reinstate this prestigious award. Nomination forms are available by visiting www.emichgiancity.com/253/Human-Rights-Commission and paper copies of the nomination form are available at City Hall. The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, May 17. Nomination forms must be returned

News Release, South Shore Line: South Shore Line is pleased to announce the implementation of a new train schedule effective Tuesday, May 14, 2024. This new schedule is the result of the capital improvements made to the South Shore Line infrastructure by the Double Track NWI project. Click here to view the full schedule of train times. “The final completion of Double Track allows for the addition of 14 weekday trains, revised times, reduced travel times and new, limited-stop express service,” said Michael Noland, President of South Shore Line. “In addition to new weekday trains, portions of weekend train times

Press Release, La Porte Community School Corporation: This week, two school board members for the La Porte Community School Corporation have been recognized by the Indiana School Boards Association (ISBA) with the Exemplary Governance Award for calendar year 2023. Ryan Seaburg, Board President and Jim Arnold, Board Member and Past President, received the distinction for demonstrating an outstanding commitment to professional learning and student success. The Exemplary Governance Awards (EGA) are conferred annually by the Indiana School Boards Association to school boards and school board members who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to professional learning and student success. Awards are

Michigan City High School senior Jess Buetow has earned a bronze medal for his high score in the "Le Grand Concours," a national competition sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French. Buetow achieved a score that placed him between the 75th and 84th percentile among the 45,000 students who took the test in March. Students were evaluated for their written, oral, and listening comprehension skills in French. For more information about the National French Contest, visit www.frenchteachers.org/concours.

Press Release, Center for Creative Solutions, Inc.: Northwest Indiana students proved again, these words don't exist: “it can’t be done” or “it’s too hard to do,” or “I’m afraid to fail.” Instead, their innovations inspired a crowd gathered at the A. K. Smith Career Center in Michigan City on Friday (April 12). The community breakfast kicked off the regional celebration of World Creativity and Innovation Week, sponsored by the Center for Creative Solutions. “Our community was one of the first to recognize the week. When it started 15 years ago, about 40 communities in the world organized events,” noted Cynthia

LA PORTE COUNTY, Ind. — Wednesday night at the county commission meeting, there was a proclamation recognizing the late Judge Paul Baldoni. Judge Baldoni served as the judge of LaPorte Superior Court 3 for over three decades. “It’s quite possible he is the longest serving Judge in LaPorte County’s history,” former La Porte County Sheriff’s Captain Mike Kellems said in a statement. The entire county judiciary was present Wednesday night as were several retired judges.

The Indiana Department of Transportation on Wednesday officially marked the start of its 2024 construction season and emphasized the critical importance of work zone safety as construction and road maintenance projects begin across the state. INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith was joined by Indiana State Police, Indiana Constructors Inc., agency employees and industry partners at INDOT's Indianapolis Subdistrict office for an event marking the seventh year of delivering Governor Eric J. Holcomb's Next Level Roads plan, which invests $60 billion over 20 years to improve existing roads and bridges and finish major projects in Indiana. The plan was enacted with bipartisan

An Indiana Department of Transportation contractor will have ramp closures at State Road 912/Cline Avenue and I-94 beginning on or after Tuesday, April 23. The ramp from southbound State Road 912 to westbound I-94 will close first and remain closed through late May. When that ramp reopens, the ramp from southbound State Road 912 to eastbound I-94 will close. These closures are to conduct bridge deck overlay work on the ramp bridges over 25th Avenue. The project will conclude in late June. There will also be a temporary lane closure on southbound State Road 912/Cline Avenue between I-94 and Ridge

Detectives with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department are asking for the public’s help in locating suspects in a shooting where a stray bullet wounded a man inside an apartment building nearby. Police say it happened Saturday, April 13 sometime after 1:30 p.m.  A group of young men, possibly in their early 20s had been playing basketball and gathering near the court at the Tiberon Trails apartment complex at 1240 W. 52nd Drive in unincorporated Merrillville. Surveillance images appear to show a disturbance beginning on the court.  When one of the men walked away and drove out of the leasing office

Press Release, La Porte Community School Corporation: At Monday evening’s board of school trustees meeting, the La Porte Community School Corporation announced the expansion of their online programming through the launch of La Porte Online School. In collaboration with Edmentum, a leading provider of educational technology solutions, La Porte Online School will offer a well-rounded and fully supported homeschooling program to students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. This program will provide an enriching online learning environment where state-certified teachers deliver personalized, curriculum-aligned education. Key features of La Porte Online School include: Personalized Learning Approaches: Utilizing Edmentum’s programming to customize educational

News Release, Purdue University Northwest: Purdue University Northwest (PNW) invites the community to support students during the 11th annual PNW Day of Giving 24-hour fundraiser on Wednesday, April 24. PNW Day of Giving is the university’s most successful campaign supporting student scholarships, academic and athletic programs, and resources that benefit PNW students. Donors are encouraged to save the date and visit dayofgiving.pnw.edu on April 24 to make a gift of their choice to PNW and help expand the many resources that allow the university’s students to experience a high-quality college education at the region’s premier metropolitan university. “I cannot overemphasize the importance

Press Release, Salvation Army of Michigan City:  The Salvation Army of Michigan City will celebrate National Volunteer Month by hosting a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon to recognize the hardworking individuals who volunteer at the non-profit organization throughout the year. This luncheon is free and open to anybody who has volunteered with The Salvation Army of Michigan City over the past year. It will take place on Friday, April 26 at The Salvation Army, 1201 S. Franklin Street, Michigan City, from 11:30am to 1:00pm. “April is National Volunteer Month and a great time for us to recognize those who give of their

The South Shore Line announced Tuesday that it will be permanently closing its Carroll Avenue and Millennium Station  ticket offices. The offices will close Friday, April 26. “After careful consideration and review of usage, the closures will allow the SSL to better allocate ticket agent resources,” the South Shore Line said in a statement. “Currently, nearly 85% of SSL ticket purchases are digital (including 62% via the mobile app and 22% via station Ticket Vending Machines). Ticket agent sales make up just 4% of total ticket sales.” After April 26, passengers may continue to purchase train tickets via any station

Indiana State Police arrested three juveniles after a pursuit Monday night in Michigan City. At about 10:15 p.m., a was patrolling in Michigan City when a dispatch went out of a shooting that had just occurred in Michigan City.  The suspect vehicle was reported stolen and described as a white Volkswagen Jetta. At about the same time, the trooper observed a white Volkswagen Jetta traveling southbound on Franklin Street near the Meijer store.  The vehicle and license plate matched the description of the suspect vehicle that had been involved in the earlier reported shooting. The trooper attempted to make a

Press Release, Office of Governor Eric J. Holcomb: Governor Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security today announced a $10 million state investment in new personal protective equipment (PPE). This new equipment will allow volunteer firefighters across Indiana to better serve their communities. Most Indiana communities are served by volunteer fire departments, and many operate on shoestring budgets and with dilapidated equipment. Some wear protective gear and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) that may be more than a decade old. Through Gov. Holcomb’s 2023 Next Level Agenda, $17.7 million was allocated to firefighters through PPE and new training facilities