MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Crystina Strelesky knew during her pregnancy that she was going to deliver a big baby. What she didn’t know was just how big her daughter would be. Baby Natalee was born to Crystina and her husband, Mike Strelesky, at Franciscan Health Michigan City at 6:27 a.m. Nov. 9 weighing in at 10 pounds 10 ounces. She is believed to be the largest baby born via vaginal birth at the hospital this year. The medical team at the Franciscan Health Family Birth Center Michigan City was prepared with specialized training to help Crystina deliver her baby without

The Salvation Army of Michigan City will hold a drive-through food drive on Saturday, December 16 from 9 am - noon at Ames Field. The Salvation Army is asking for nonperishable items only. Food collected will be provided to the Salvation Army of Michigan City food pantry. Community members are encouraged to donate. You can designate your donation on behalf of your favorite school. Last December, MCAS donated 4.1 tons of food. The drive is sponsored by the MCHS Student Council.

The Purdue University Northwest (PNW) Sinai Forum’s 70th season concludes Sunday, Dec. 3 with David Ross, former field manager of the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Ross’ program takes place at the James B. Dworkin Student Services and Activities Complex, 1401 S. U.S. 421, Westville, IN, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. CST. Ross will join moderator Dan Plesac, a Northwest Indiana native, 18-year MLB veteran and MLB Network Analyst, for the afternoon discussion. Single program event tickets for Ross’ presentation are available for $100. Tickets can be purchased by visiting pnw.edu/sinai-forum. College and high school students may attend

Interfaith Community PADS of Michigan City Renames as Nest Community Shelter Reflecting Commitment to Recovery and Evolving Community Needs. Interfaith Community PADS of Michigan City, a dedicated volunteer organization committed to providing support and shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness, is proud to announce a significant milestone in its journey to make a difference in the lives of those they serve. In response to their permanent home at the historic former Sacred Heart Catholic Church building and their unwavering commitment to addressing homelessness through a dignified approach to recovery, the organization is excited to unveil its new name: Nest Community Shelter.

News release by Indiana Department of Transportation: The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is encouraging community feedback on its planning studies along the U.S. 30 and U.S. 31 corridors in northern Indiana. The study teams have identified 55 potential solutions to address issues, needs and desired outcomes along the corridors. The list of potential concepts, known as the “Universe of Alternatives”, is tailored to each study area. “The ProPEL U.S. 30 and 31 study area encompasses 180 miles across 12 counties, so we must carefully examine how the corridors fit and function in each area,” said INDOT Project Manager, Sandra

The Indiana State Police are encouraging Hoosiers to protect themselves from card skimmers after a recent discovery of skimming devices during a traffic stop. Police say fraudsters often utilize gas pumps as locations to install card skimming equipment used to steal credit and debit card information from unsuspecting victims. A recent traffic stop by Trooper Luis Alvarez on the Indiana Toll Road led to the discovery of card skimming devices.  On Nov. 7, a trooper stopped a silver 2023 Chrysler for a moving violation in Elkhart County.  During the traffic stop it was discovered that the Chrysler was stolen. Items

The Chesterton Fire Department is once again offering its station as a drop-off facility for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program, whose mission is to collect new, unwrapped toys and give them as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the Duneland community. The Chesterton Fire Department is asking those participating to bring your clean, unwrapped toys to the CFD station—702 Broadway—between now and Dec. 14 and enter by the front door. “If locked, please ring the bell,” the CFD said on a Facebook post. “The CFD and the USMCR thank you, and the Duneland community does

JASPER COUNTY, Ind. - Norfolk Southern Railway plans to close State Road 49 at their railroad crossing between State Road 10 and County Road 1300 North in Wheatfield beginning on or after Monday, Nov. 20. State Road 49 will be closed for approximately three days in this location while they replace their at-grade crossing. Motorists should seek an alternate route. The official detour will follow State Road 10, U.S. 231 and State Road 8. This closure is dependent on Norfolk Southern Railway's work on U.S. 231 in De Motte being completed first.

Press release by Michigan City Area Schools: Michigan City High School honored veterans with a ceremony at the high school gym. It was a modified military parade, featuring the high school band, choir and Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC). State Representative Pat Boy was the guest speaker. She spoke about the many members of her family who had served in the military, to include Marines who survived the sinking of the USS Wasp. She encouraged the student body to consider serving our nation in the same tradition as her family. “With less than one percent of our

Press release by Franciscan Health: CROWN POINT, Ind. – Franciscan Health Foundation Chairwoman Sister Jane Marie Klein announced today the largest ever gift received by the organization, a $30 million donation from The Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation. The donation will pave the way for the creation of The Dean and Barbara White Cancer Center at the new Franciscan Health Crown Point hospital. The 71,000-square-foot, three-story cancer center will be constructed at the southeast corner of Interstate 65 and U.S. 231 on the new hospital campus. This state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment center will consolidate existing cancer care services into

One person has died and two others were injured after a three vehicle crash Sunday morning on U.S. 421, according to the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office. On Sunday just before 11:15 a.m., deputies were dispatched to U.S. 421 and County Road 125 South, in reference to a three-vehicle personal injury crash. The initial on-scene investigation completed by Deputy Sawyer Laffoon and assisting deputies determined that a 2016 Jeep, driven by 34-year-old from South Bend, was traveling north on U.S. 421 when a 1996 Kenworth tractor, driven by 50-year-old from Knox, was traveling south on U.S. 421. The commercial motor

JASPER COUNTY, Ind. - Norfolk Southern Railway plans to close U.S. 231 at their railroad crossing between 7th Street and 9th Street in De Motte beginning on or after Wednesday, November 15. U.S. 231 will be closed for approximately three days in this location while they replace their at-grade crossing. Motorists should seek an alternate route. The official detour will follow State Road 10, State Road 49 and State Road 8.

Valparaiso City Services has announced two additional weeks of recycling will be added during the holidays to encourage recycling. The additional weeks include the week following Thanksgiving and the week of Christmas, which would typically be trash-only collection weeks. For the updated calendar, visit tinyurl.com/ValpoTrashNov-Dec .

(Porter County, IN) – In celebration of the American Cancer Society’s 48th Great American Smokeout on Nov. 16, Hoosiers across Indiana are encouraged to “make the commitment and quit smoking today”. “With the holidays just around the corner, it’s a great time for people to give the ‘gift’ of a better life to themselves and to their family and friends by quitting. With fewer places to smoke in Indiana, now is the perfect time to quit,” said Carrie Higgins, Program Director of The Tobacco Education and Prevention Coalition for Porter County. Tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of

The Salvation Army of Michigan City will host its annual Thanksgiving Community Meal on Thursday, Nov. 23 from 11:30am to 1:00pm. Majors Dale and Becky Simmons, who oversee the local Salvation Army, remind the public that this meal is free and open to anyone in the community that needs a place to spend Thanksgiving Day. “To us, Thanksgiving is about people being together,” Major Becky Simmons said. “We serve this meal so that everyone has an opportunity to enjoy a delicious meal with turkey, ham, and all the sides. But the most important part is spending time with family, friends,

NIPSCO has become aware of a scam where our customers are being contacted directly or finding through online searches an imposter web site for an entity calling itself “NIPSCO Energy.”  The phone numbers they are currently operating under are 888 or 877 numbers, and these are not a NIPSCO utility number or affiliated in any way with NIPSCO. NIPSCO’s official web address is NIPSCO.com, and our customer care center phone number is 1-800-4-NIPSCO (1-800-464- 7726). And NIPSCO will never call you directly to ask for account or payment information, or demand payment through a pre-paid card.  Please do not share your account

Norfolk Southern on Thursday informed the Chesterton Police Dispatch Center that its railroad crossing at South Calumet Road is closed for repairs. Motorists needing to cross the tracks are advised to use the North Fourth Street, North Eighth Street, North 15th Street, or North Jackson Blvd. grade-crossings. Also on Thursday, Norfolk Southern was also preparing to close its North Eighth Street grade-crossing for repairs, in addition to its closure of the South Calumet Road grade-crossing. The Town of Chesterton says that both the North Eighth Street and the South Calumet Road grade-crossings are currently expected to be closed—to all traffic,

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office announced on its Facebook page that Sheriff Heeg was recently asked to nominate an employee for this year's The Rotary Club of Michigan City, IN "Service Above Self Award." After consulting with members of the administration, a 34-year veteran of the agency stood out amongst his peers, the LCSO said. Civil Deputy Tony Wallace was nominated and received this year's award Thursday for his lengthy service, specifically to the citizens of southern La Porte County, the LCSO said. The LCSO listed some of Tony's accomplishments and steadfast commitment to serving others: LCSO employee since