The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting overtime patrols during the holidays, thanks to a $49,250 traffic safety improvement grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The funds, distributed by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, are part of the state’s “Click It to Live It” program, which works to promote seat belt usage and reduce impaired driving – in an effort to prevent traffic injuries and fatal crashes in Indiana. “The simple fact is, no matter who you are or what you drive, wearing your seat belt is one of the best ways to keep you and

Gov. Eric J. Holcomb announced Mary DeBoer as his appointment to the Porter County Circuit Court. DeBoer will succeed Judge Mary Harper, who will retire on Dec. 31. Judge Harper holds the distinction of being the longest serving woman in the Indiana judiciary. Following her graduation from law school, DeBoer served as a deputy prosecutor in Starke and Porter counties. DeBoer has also been in private practice. Since 2011, she has served as a magistrate for the Porter County Superior Courts in Valparaiso.  DeBoer earned her undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University and her law degree from Valparaiso University School

The press and public are invited to join Paladin at the dedication of Imagination Station Child Development Center on November 21, 2019. The ceremony is in honor of Wendy Rae Englander whose life inspired the mission to fulfill the developmental potential of all children and families. The ribbon cutting will take place at the center (1200 E. Coolspring Ave., Michigan City) and begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. Tours will be offered and light refreshments will be available directly after and continue until 6:30 p.m. RSVP’s are encouraged to ensure that there are enough refreshments to accommodate all attendees. Imagination Station,

Tuesday at 10:52 AM, the Horizon Bank located at 113 West First Street, in Wanatah, was robbed. Several minutes later, the LaPorte County E-911 Center received information that deputies from the Porter County Sheriff’s Office were pursuing a vehicle matching a description that was provided by a witness.The vehicle pursuit continued north along State Road 49 before turning west on US Highway 12. At 11:29 AM, the vehicle pursuit stopped along US 12 in Porter County where one subject was taken into custody. A second subject, who had been in the vehicle prior to the vehicle pursuit beginning, was later

The Kiwanis Club of La Porte and the Rotary Club of La Porte are joining forces to raise money for their scholarship programs to benefit the youth of La Porte. The event will take place on Tuesday, December 31st at the La Porte Civic Auditorium. The festivities will begin at 8:00 PM and will go until 12:30 AM. This party is a way for the people of La Porte to celebrate the end of 2019 and welcome 2020 while contributing to a great cause.The Clubs have planned an evening of fun including a photo booth, wine pull, food vendors, tip

Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel Corp. has reduced its staff at two northwest Indiana facilities. An undisclosed number of non-union workers at the company's Gary Works and Midwest Plant in Portage are affected by the move. The layoffs are unrelated to the previously-announced cuts involving 150 workers at the steelmaker's East Chicago Tin. A spokesperson for U.S. Steel says the move is part of an ongoing effort to improve efficiency. U.S. Steel did not specify the number of employees affected by the move, but said they are all hourly workers not represented by a union.

The sights and sounds of Christmas will be in the air at the upcoming “A Very Merry Christmas Market” on Saturday, December 7 from 10AM to 4PM at the Michigan City/Laporte Visitor and Convention Center. Christmas music and refreshments will be offered while browsing among the displays of unique gifts created by artists from the Michigan City Art League and Land of Lakes Art Alliance. There will be a variety of items perfect for gift giving, including ornaments, jewelry, clothing, and much more. Some gifts can be personalized upon request. Some artists may also take commissions for custom artwork. This

Citing an emergency with the state’s propane supply, Governor Eric Holcomb has signed an executive order which waives some of the time restrictions for truck drivers who haul the fuel. Throughout the Midwest, there have been reports of propane shortages and long lines at terminals. The governor’s office says some terminals have run out of the fuel. The forecast for cold temperatures this week will mean additional demand for the fuel as Hoosiers crank up the heat on their homes and businesses. Another draw on the supply is agriculture. Because the Indiana corn crop got planted late, it’s taking longer

Southgate Drainage Improvements Project In Michigan CityThere will be temporary road closings & parking restrictions during the day (7:00am to 5:00pm) on the following roads: Village Road from Ohio Street to approximately 250 feet East of Crestwood Drive; Crestwood Drive from Village Road South approximately 200 feet. This is for new storm sewer installation continuing until the end of November. D&M say they intend to have all roads open for traffic overnight and on weekends.

Hundreds of People Participate in Initial Conversation Series for the Vibrant Communities of La Porte County InitiativePublic input will help shape the future vision of La Porte County’s communities. The Vibrant Communities of La Porte County Initiative hosted a series of community conversations in late October focused on the thoughts and ideas on the future of La Porte County’s communities. The Vibrant Initiative experienced participation from more than 300 residents during the five work shops that were held throughout La Porte County. The Community Conversation Workshops represented the kick-off to the public engagement process to begin a discussion on how

For Counties of LaPorte, St. Joseph IN, Berrien MI, Cass MIURGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Northern Indiana WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM EST /4 AM CST/ MONDAY TO 5 PM EST /4 PM CST/ TUESDAY...* WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 5 to 10 inches are expected. Localized amounts up to one foot possible.* WHERE...northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan.* WHEN...From 5 AM EST /4 AM CST/ Monday to 5 PM EST /4 PM CST/ Tuesday.* IMPACTS...Untreated roads will become snow covered and travel difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning and

Throughout the weekend, Deputy Paul Adams (New Prairie United School Corporation School Resource Officer), has continued investigating the threat that caused Friday’s “lockout” resulting in the late dismissal at the corporations middle school. Early Saturday afternoon, Deputy Adams received information directly related to the investigation. He immediately acted on the development and proceeded to conduct an interview. As a result of the interview, Deputy Adams was able to identify a suspect. On Sunday afternoon, Deputy Adams conducted an interview with the suspect and her parents. Following the interview, he arrested the 13 year old female New Prairie Middle School student

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) encourages Hoosiers to use Winter Weather Preparedness Week, Nov. 10-16, as an opportunity to properly prepare for upcoming winter weather.During winter, Hoosiers should always monitor local radio, TV stations and social media for weather updates. It is also important to understand the differences between watches, warnings and advisories:Watch: Winter weather is possible.Advisory: Winter weather will begin soon, but conditions are less serious than a warning.Warning: Severe winter weather will begin soon.The National Weather Service reports 36 Americans died due to cold weather in 2018. Prolonged exposure to bitterly cold temperatures increases the chances of cold

La Porte Hospital colleagues from the Birthing and Family Care Center and Wellness Outreach are pleased to invite the community to “’Tis the Season! A Jolly Family Affair” from 5:30-7 p.m., Dec. 3 in the hospital’s main lobby, 1007 Lincolnway, La Porte. The event is a great opportunity for all the babies born at La Porte Hospital in 2019 to reunite with the OB staff and each other to celebrate baby’s first holiday season. Families from across the community are welcome as well. All activities are free! Activities include photos with Santa (a link will be made available to download

To accommodate passengers attending the Chicago Bears vs. Lions home game at noon on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019, the South Shore Line plans to stop select trains at Metra’s 18th Street Station, which connects passengers directly to the Soldier Field entrance via a pedestrian walkway. In addition to our regular service to nearby Museum Campus/11th Street, the following trains will also serve 18th Street Station on Nov. 10: Westbound: Train 502 will arrive at 18th St. at 9:07a; Tr 504 at 10:10a; and Tr 606 at 11:04a. Eastbound: Train 507 will depart 18th St. at 4:49p, and Tr 509 will depart

Congressman Visclosky announced today that he will not seek re-election next year in the following statement. “On November 6th, 35 years ago today, I was elected to serve as Indiana’s First District U.S. Representative. Today, I announce that I will not seek re-election in 2020. “For my entire career I have worked to build support for our domestic steel industry and organized labor, secure investments in transformational projects and improve our quality of place to benefit the only place I have ever called home. “For the last 35 years our office has vigorously advocated on behalf of thousands of constituents for assistance on

Steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal and Purdue University Northwest (PNW) are partnering with Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Ill., on a research project funded under the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) High Performance Computing for Manufacturing (HPC4Mfg) Program. The research project, “Application of High-Performance Computing (HPC) to Optimize Reheat Furnace Efficiency in Steel Manufacturing,” will focus on improving steel reheat furnace efficiency by simulating furnace and process phenomena and developing databases of criteria for optimized furnace operation. PNW’s Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS) will conduct computational modeling to simulate reheat furnace operation under a variety of conditions, to balance

Veterans/Active Duty Military Ride Free On South Shore LineIn honor of Veterans Day, the South Shore Line invites all active duty military personnel and veterans to ride for free from Nov. 8-11, 2019. At the time of fare collection, passengers are to inform train personnel of veteran or active military status in order to take advantage of the free passage; no identification will be required. On Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11, trains will follow the regular weekday train schedule. As a reminder, up to three children age 13 and younger always ride free on all daily off-peak, weekend and holiday

High school students can apply for 2020 Young Leaders AcademyApplications are now being accepted for the 2020 Young Leaders Academy program for high school students, conducted by the Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest (PNW). The former SLYCE program has been redesigned with a more robust curriculum that includes action-based learning and brings PNW faculty and staff into the classroom with youth participants.Sheila Matias, executive director of the Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest, said schools and parents are encouraged to invest in youth leadership because it offers a three-for-one investment.Important background about the Young Leaders Academy at PNW includes:The Young Leaders

In the 2019 General Election on Tuesday, Michigan City Mayor Ron Meer and Damon Carnes narrowly lost to Republican candidate Duane Parry. Parry, with only a 76 vote margin, had just under 30% of the vote while Meer had around 28 1/2% and Carnes had nearly 27% of the vote. Jim Larocco finished with just under 15% of the vote. Meer was first elected in 2011. Parry is the first Republican mayor to hold the office in 44 years. Democrats retained control of the Michigan City Common Council as Council President Don Przybylinski, who will serve his third consecutive term