Indiana health officials are urging Hoosiers to protect themselves from tick bites while outdoors as warmer weather increases tick activity. Indiana Department of Health entomologists have found the black-legged tick, which can carry pathogens that cause Lyme disease, babesiosis and other diseases, in all but three Indiana counties. Lyme disease bacteria have been detected in adult and immature black-legged ticks in many Indiana counties, especially in the northwest and west central parts of the state, where the largest numbers of human Lyme disease cases are reported. In July 2020, a babesiosis case with strong evidence of local tick-borne transmission was

The Indiana Department of Health announced today that Hoosiers age 12 and older can begin receiving a free COVID-19 vaccine at 8 a.m. Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended the use of the Pfizer vaccine for this new age group on Wednesday following the FDA’s expansion of the vaccine’s Emergency Use Authorization. The Pfizer vaccine is the only one of the three COVID-19 vaccines that is currently approved for use in individuals younger than age 18. “The Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective at preventing COVID-19 and was well tolerated

Anyone interested in becoming an Indiana Conservation Officer is encouraged to attend a recruiting event that DNR Law Enforcement’s District 1 will host on Saturday, May 22, at Potato Creek State Park and Tuesday, May 25, at Salamonie Interpretive Center. Beginning at 7 p.m. at both locations on both days, officers will be on site to cover material regarding the hiring process for Indiana Conservation Officers and answer questions from interested candidates. The address for Potato Creek State Park is 25601 IN-4 in North Liberty. Salamonie Interpretive Center is located at 3691 New Holland Road in Andrews. District 1 includes

Dr. Deausy was disappointed to learn of the of Indiana Legislator’s decision to override Governor Holcomb’s veto of Senate Enrolled Act No. 005. Dr. Deausy feels this is a dangerous move which will prevent local health departments from responding to health emergencies. Local health officers and their departments must often make immediate, urgent, and complex decisions to protect public health. This bill ultimately limits the ability of the health officers to make timely decisions during a public health emergency such as the coronavirus pandemic. SEA No. 005 has voided Dr. Deausy’s Third Amended Health Order dated April 30th, 2021, which

On May 11, Gov. Eric Holcomb reinstated work-search activities requiring that unemployment insurance claimants actively seek employment and be available for work. To be eligible for unemployment benefits, claimants must attempt to secure full-time work in each week they claim benefits. That requirement was suspended during the pandemic. More information about the weekly work searches can be found at: www.in.gov/dwd/indiana-unemployment/individuals/work-search/. With recent changes to the state’s unemployment insurance program, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development is reminding Hoosiers of the many resources available to assist with training and employment opportunities. Based on the most recent data, Indiana employers have posted more

Wildlife officials have confirmed the presence of a parasitic flatworm in wild swans from Wolf Lake. Diagnostic testing was conducted at the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Mute swans examined by the USGS had fatal infections of the intestinal parasite Sphaeridiotrema globulus. This parasite causes death in many species of waterfowl, including swans, diving ducks, and coots. Lead testing was also performed on the swans, and results were within the range of nontoxic background levels. The cause of death of the Canada geese collected from the same area could not be determined, despite extensive testing. The geese tested negative

The La Porte Jaycees have decided to hand off the iconic 4th of July Parade held every year in downtown La Porte after 74 years. While this decision was not made lightly, the Jaycees believe that it is time to hand off to keep the event sustainable for the future. Over the past decade, the Jaycees have experienced a decline in membership, which led to difficulty operating this large-scale event. With a lack of volunteers in membership, it has become increasingly difficult to operate key projects like the 4th of July Parade. The La Porte Jaycees are best known for

National Drinking Water Week Celebration 2021 FREE In-Home Well Water SCREENING Kits Starting May 10th,2021 To celebrate National Drinking Water Week (May 2nd-8th 2021), the LaPorte County Health Department is offering FREE In-Home Well Water Screening tests for LaPorte County residential well owners. This service is being offered to LaPorte County residents ONLY with residential water supplies (private wells) during the month of May, starting May 10th. Test kits will be available for pick up at both LaPorte and Michigan City Health Department offices while supplies last. One kit per household. The La Porte County Health Department wants to remind

Purdue University is offering two online summer boot camps designed to prepare information technology professionals to earn certifications that can lead to giant leaps in their careers by qualifying them for in-demand, highly paid jobs in cybersecurity.   The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) boot camp, which begins June 7, is for individuals, especially managers, with at least five years of experience. It offers a foundation of knowledge in eight security domains: security and risk management, asset security, security architecture and engineering, communication and network security, identity and access management, security assessment and testing, security operations, and software development

The Indiana Department of Health announced today that 1,189 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at state and private laboratories. That brings to 727,764 the number of Indiana residents now known to have had the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s dashboard. To date, 12,983 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died from COVID-19, an increase of 17 from the previous day. Another 414 probable deaths have been reported to date based on clinical diagnoses in patients for whom no positive test is on record. A total of 3,411,825 unique individuals have been tested in Indiana,