Press release by Unity Foundation of La Porte County: Dozens of influential leaders representing prominent grantmaking institutions from across Indiana converged in La Porte County on June 8-9 to experience firsthand the transformative power of local philanthropy in the community. Hosted by the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance (IPA), a nonprofit membership association representing Indiana foundations that invest over $2 billion annually for social causes, this two-day board meeting marks the first time the IPA has chosen Northwest Indiana as its meeting location. "This gathering is a testament to the tremendous potential that philanthropy holds in transforming communities," said Claudia Cummings, President

A Portage man has been charged in connection to a fatal crash that took place in November resulting in the death of Chesterton Middle School teacher, and Chesterton resident, 24-year-old Lauren Thompson. On Thursday officers of the Portage Police Department were informed that an arrest warrant had been issued for the driver of the vehicle, who is believed to have caused the traffic collision resulting in the death of Thompson. With warrant in hand, officers went to the last known address of the suspect, 42-year-old Arthur H. Schmidt of Portage and placed him in custody. As of Friday, Schmidt was

The man wanted in connection with the arson in the lobby of the Lake County Jail, 26-year-old Ryan Andrews, was taken into custody Friday morning by officers of the Tinley Park, Illinois Police Department. As of Friday Andrews was being held at a facility in Illinois pending extradition to Indiana. No further information was available.

On the Indiana Toll Road, pavement patching between mile marker 10 (Cline Avenue) to mile marker 25 (Portage) will take place overnight from June 12 until June 16. The work is weather permitting. Specific details can be seen in the image attached to this story. The Indiana Toll Road says to use caution and reduce speed in work zones.

News release by Indiana Department of Education: This summer, all Indiana students age 18 and younger have access to free, nutritious meals and snacks at more than 1,000 locations statewide through the 2023 Summer Food Service Program. To find a Summer Food Service site, families can visit IDOENutrition.com to search for sites near them. This tool allows families to search by the meal served and days of the week when meals are offered. Families can also call the National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE or text “summer meals” or “verano” to the National Hunger Hotline at 914-342-7744 for additional

Press release by La Porte County Symphony Orchestra: The La Porte County Symphony Orchestra (LCSO) will present “Music Under the Stars” on Sunday, July 16, at Friendship Botanic Gardens’ Celebration Pavilion in Michigan City. The concert begins at 7:30 PM and admission is free to the public. This is a family friendly event! The evening’s sponsor is NIPSCO/NISOURCE. LCSO Music Director, Dr. Carolyn Watson, will lead the LCSO in selections of marches, music with an “Americana” theme as well as featuring the 2022 Hoosier Star winners. Joining the LCSO will be Savannah Holley and Julia Thorn. Holley will be performing

News release by Purdue University Northwest: HAMMOND and WESTVILLE, Ind. — Purdue University Northwest (PNW) announced that Bruce W. Berdanier will join the university as dean of the College of Engineering and Sciences, effective July 24, 2023. Berdanier most recently served as the Lohr Endowed Dean of the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering at South Dakota State University (SDSU) in Brookings, S.D. As dean at SDSU, Berdanier’s accomplishments included the completion of a $5 million endowment for the dean’s position, developing and implementing a strategic plan for the college and its departments, and engaging alumni, industries and partner universities

Press release by Michigan City Area Schools: Administrators, staff, school board members, families, and friends cheered on adult graduates from across LaPorte County as they gathered at the Holdcraft Performing Arts Center in Michigan City on Wednesday, May 31, to celebrate the achievement of an important milestone: a high school diploma. Forty-five of the 78 adults who had earned High School Equivalency diplomas during the 2022-23 school year opted to participate in the ceremony. Julie Fregien, the LaPorte County Adult Education Director, opened the ceremony with a warm welcome and introduced the four student speakers as well as the keynote

Work on Canadian National railroad crossings continues in Valparaiso, requiring short-term closures and detours as upgrades continue, the City of Valparaiso announced Wednesday. “We continue to work closely with Canadian National to facilitate projects that improve crossings for motorists,” said Engineering Director Mike Jabo. This week Canadian National is completing work on the crossing at Roosevelt Road, upgrading it to a higher level with a rubber surface, said Jabo. In order to maintain their tracks through the city, Canadian National will close the crossing at Lafayette Street for several weeks in order to move equipment along the track. “The next

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Days (AQAD) on Thursday for all Indiana counties due to smoke from Canadian wildfires. Air quality may continue to be impacted beyond Thursday. Hoosiers are encouraged to visit smogwatch.IN.gov to view current and forecasted conditions and subscribe to email alerts. IDEM encourages everyone to help reduce PM2.5 by making changes to daily habits. You can: Avoid burning wood in fireplaces or wood-fired boilers and any other unnecessary fires Reminder: Indiana’s open burning laws make it illegal to burn trash and generally prohibit open burning, visit IN.gov/openburning for

An INDOT contractor will move to the next phase of concrete restoration work in Lake County on I-65 between U.S. 30 and I-80/94 on or after Saturday, June 10, switching from the southbound to the northbound side. I-65 northbound will be reduced to two lanes between mile marker 256 to 259, with one lane using a left crossover express lane that will not have access to the exit ramp at Ridge Road. Southbound I-65 will have three lanes shifted to the right to make room for the northbound crossover lane. There will be no access to I-65 northbound from U.S.

The Duneland Chamber of Commerce seeks nominations for their Community Awards event, including the Duneland Distinguished Woman Award. Chesterton, IN – The Duneland Chamber of Commerce is currently seeking community nominations for eight awards given during the Duneland Chamber Community Awards Luncheon, to be held on Wednesday, July 19. Nomination forms are available on the Chamber website or can be emailed to you upon request. All nominations are due by Friday, June 30, 2023. Putting Duneland on the Map Award honors an individual or organization whose achievements have brought state and/or national recognition to the Duneland area. Business Renovation Award

Press release by Healthcare Foundation of La Porte: On Tuesday, June 6, 2023, Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) held its 2023 Round 1 AED Celebration at the HFL Conference & Learning Center. Each year, HFL provides grants for automated external defibrillators (AEDs) as part of its When Seconds Count: AED Initiative. The initiative helps ensure the La Porte County community has access to life-saving devices. When Seconds Count: AED Initiative works closely with La Porte County EMS to educate the community on the importance of routine AED maintenance, AED registration, and CPR training. This year, through HFL’s When Seconds

PORTER COUNTY – An Indiana State Police Trooper from the Lowell Post made three drug arrests durring his shift on Monday, according to the ISP. At around 7:45 a.m., the trooper initiated a traffic stop along I-94 at the 26.8 mile-marker on a VW Jetta for several traffic violations. This location is just east of the S.R. 49 exit ramp in Chesterton.  During the traffic stop investigation, a search of the trunk revealed 1.9 pounds of cocaine that had been concealed in a duffel bag. Both the driver and passenger were arrested and charged with dealing in cocaine.  The driver

In Portage, beginning Wednesday, June 14 until at least Saturday, November 11, Central Avenue between Swanson Road and Willowdale Road will be closed to through traffic due to the reconstruction of the bridge as part of the Central Avenue West Project. Detours will be marked. Westbound through traffic will detour south on Willowcreek Road to Stone Avenue; west on Stone Avenue to Willowdale Road and north on Willowdale Road to Central Avenue Eastbound traffic will take the reverse route.

Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. announced Tuesday that investigators with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department have identified a person of interest in connection with the fire that occurred in the lobby of the Lake County Jail Monday. Martinez says officers are actively attempting to locate him. Police will provide an update as more information becomes available.

Press release by NIPSCO: Merrillville, Ind. – With area schools being out for summer break, NIPSCO encourages parents and family members to have conversations with teens and young children about how to stay safe near and around construction zones this summer. Construction and work zone safety is especially important as northern Indiana communities are experiencing surges of economic growth resulting in an increase of road expansion projects, new residential and business builds, park recreational facilities, multiplex centers, advancements in medical facilities and a rise in utility work in local neighborhoods. The National Safety Council states that the construction industry employs

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. – One person sustained serious injuries after a train struck a vehicle in Berrien County on Tuesday. Just before 11:30 a.m., first responders were dispatched to the railroad crossing on Pardee Road near U.S. Highway 12 in Galien Township for a train vs. car crash. The Berrien County Sheriff Department says the vehicle was traveling south on Pardee Road and went around the activated railroad crossing arms and was hit by the train traveling west. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle sustained serious injuries. The driver was transported to South Bend Memorial Hospital where he

Press release by City of La Porte: Admirers of the historic Civic Auditorium will have the opportunity to purchase a piece of it to own forever, according Civic & Events Director Brett Binversie. The Civic's antique seating sections will be available for sale through an online auction beginning Friday, June 9. Original to the building since its dedication in 1930, the chair sections range in size from one to 13 seats. Starting bids range from $50 to $350. Though some may be sad to see them go, Binversie said the new seats make the building ADA accessible, allowing more people

In conjunction with the Duneland School Corporation, Porter Police Department will be hosting a multi-jurisdictional training at Yost Elementary School. Training will be conducted on Tuesday June 6, Wednesday June 7 and Thursday June 8. Porter Fire Department will also be conducting training in concert with other area fire departments. Police say citizens should not be alarmed at the large presence of police/fire personnel and are asked to avoid being on the property.