Local News

The City of Valparaiso is hosting a free Guided Art Walk at Cumberland Crossing on June 24 at 6:00 pm. This event celebrates 10 years of the Art Walk and kicks off a weekend of art with the free Valparaiso Art Festival on June 26-27 downtown. Art Administrator Kurt Gillins will serve as guide, sharing details of the 18 sculptures along the walk, including five new pieces installed earlier this month. Registration is not required. You can also vote for the Community Choice award here: tinyurl.com/ValpoArt . For details, visit the event page located on the Valpo Now Facebook page.

There will be a mobile food distribution in La Porte on Wednesday June 30 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. CT at First Church of God, 2020 E. Lincolnway, LaPorte, IN 46350 This mobile distribution is sponsored by United Way of LaPorte County and will serve up to 300 households. Assorted food items are offered free of charge. All items are pre-boxed and pre-bagged. This is first come, first served, while supplies last for those in need of food assistance and one box per household. Distributions are drive-thru.

Effective Monday, June 28th, after 15 months of restrictions, Michigan City will return to a relatively normal condition without the required use of masks, social distancing, and capacity restrictions. This includes City Hall and All City Buildings. Masks • Fully vaccinated individuals can resume activities without wearing a mask except in places where the federal government requires it — like nursing homes, public and health care facilities — or where a business or workplace requires it. • People who are not fully vaccinated should continue to wear a mask in crowded settings. It is also recommended that unvaccinated individuals wear

NIPSCO is accepting applications for a grant to support local nonprofit organizations who provide public safety education and training across northern Indiana. Grants are available in amounts ranging from $500 to $5,000. Applications are being accepted now through August 13, 2021, with grant awards announced during the week of August 23. Grant opportunities will include, but are not limited to, community and youth public safety education programming and training for first responders, police and fire department fire and carbon monoxide safety programs, education and training in the prevention of damage to underground natural gas lines, and child-related safety education. Grant funding is not intended to cover the purchase of equipment other than tools needed to support public safety

The six regional hospitals that serve the city of Portage publicly support the smokefree air ordinance being considered by the city council. Each hospital CEO signed a joint letter of support that was sent to the council members on Monday, June 21st . Northwest Health, Healthlinc, Northshore Health Centers, Porter-Starke Services, Inc., St. Mary Medical Center, and Franciscan Health Michigan City co-signed the letter. Hospitals and health care facilities bear witness to the significant health burden secondhand smoke places on communities like Portage. Smokefree laws are proven to save lives and prevent disease. Hospital admissions to emergency departments for heart

Northwest Health announced recipients of the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nursing. The team members honored were from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and included: Autumn Reese, RN-BSN; Lauren Haller, ASN-RNC; Jill Volk, ASN-RNC; Elizabeth St. Germain, ASN-RN; Alexis Goebel, Diploma RN-RNC; MaCahlia Reyes, BSN-RN; Julie White, MSN-RNC; Pam Jefferson, BSN-RNC; Cindy Fultz, ASN-RNC; and Becky Skalka, ASN-RN.   They were nominated by a mother whose baby daughter was a recent NICU patient. The mother shared that she was first scared of the phrase “NICU” but has never been more pleasantly surprised. She named each nurse by name - Autumn,

The Town of Porter is in the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan to direct future land use, transportation, development, and community infrastructure, and the community is invited to participate and help shape the new plan into a successful and sustainable roadmap for the future. The Town of Porter’s last Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2004. The new plan will reflect what has changed and what has been learned since then. The Plan Commission’s goal is to anticipate the needs and opportunities for the next 20 years. The Comprehensive Plan update will document the community’s shared goals and objectives. to maintain

Goodwill Industries of Michiana has been selected among eight Goodwill organizations in the country to provide healthcare career assistance. Amid the ongoing pandemic employment crisis and demand for qualified healthcare workers, Goodwill International has partnered with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation to introduce Healthcare CareerLaunch. “COVID-19 has left a lasting impact on many communities and has changed the landscape of the workforce.  The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation is excited to join forces with Goodwill on this innovative program as part of our commitment to improve lives and communities,” said Dr. Kimberly Roop, Anthem Blue Cross

Dare to be like Diana of the Dunes and hike more than 250 steps along a one mile trail at West Beach to end at the shoreline and watch the sunset with National Park Service rangers, at 7:30 p.m. every Saturday this summer. This one-hour hike will challenge you physically and entertain you with stories about the real Diana of the Dunes. For more information about this or other programs at Indiana Dunes National Park, call visit www.nps.gov/indu . Knox: Mobile Food Distributions June 23

Residents impacted by the severe storms June 18-21 are asked to contact Indiana 211 to report storm damage and help with a statewide damage assessment. The storm produced several tornado warnings and resulted in severe flooding in some areas. The storms damaged or destroyed multiple buildings, caused evacuations and resulted in temporary shelters erected in counties with considerable damage. At least one death in Monroe County has been attributed to the swift-moving storm. In addition to local public safety crews, Indiana Department of Homeland Security personnel have been deployed to specific counties with damage, including Franklin, Steuben, Jefferson and Monroe

The Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest announces the September launch of the 2021-2022 Leadership Northwest Indiana (LNI) program, a professional development program that uses a hybrid model of both in-person training sessions and the convenience of Zoom meetings to create a supportive network while building a practical toolbox of skills for Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana professionals. Participants will experience evidence-based learning activities to strengthen leadership skills, and discover strategies to become a more authentic leader in their career, in their community and in their personal life. “The LNI program is well-regarded as a robust and relevant leadership training. We provide

"We want everyone to have a fun summer, but safety is always our top concern. We’ve received several calls about teens jumping from the Waverly Rd Bridge and hanging on passing boats." Tom Dermody. Not only is this extremely unsafe, but it also violates City ordinance. Our City of La Porte Police Department will be working closely with the La Porte County Sheriff's Office as well as the DNR to catch violators. If caught, a minimum fine of $50 will be issued. Please, talk to your teens about this and help us keep everyone safe. If you spot jumpers, you

As we approach extreme heat temperatures this weekend, taking steps to protect yourself from heat illnesses is essential. Heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke and cramps happen when your body can’t keep itself cool. As the temperature rises, your body produces sweat to stay cool. On hot, humid days, the increased moisture in the air slows down this process.   If You Are Experiencing Any of These Heat Exhaustion Symptoms, You Should: Move to a cool place Loosen your clothes Put cool, wet cloths on your body or take a cool bath Sip water Heat Stroke Symptoms High

It is with great sadness that the Town of Chesterton must report the death today, Saturday, June 19, of longtime local attorney Terry Hiestand, in a motor vehicle accident on the Indiana Toll Road in St. Joseph County. Hiestand, 75, both lived and practiced law in Chesterton and over the years appeared dozens of times before the Chesterton Board of Zoning Appeals, most recently in May. According to the Indiana State Police, at 10 a.m. Hiestand was eastbound on the Toll Road, two miles west of the Notre Dame exit, when he collided with another vehicle in the adjacent lane.

Washington Park Drowning On 6/19/21 at 8:09pm, LaPorte County Regional Dispatch Center, dispatched Michigan City Police Department, Michigan City Fire Department, United States Coast Guard, to Washington Park to assist with a possible drowning. Officers arrived on scene and began to speak with witnesses and learned that a group of individuals were in the water and three subjects began to struggle while swimming. A couple of “Good Samaritans” noticed the subjects struggling and came to assist. Once they returned to shore it was determined that an 11-year-old juvenile was still missing in the water. Search measures were quickly put in place

The Indiana Department of Transportation will be hosting a hiring event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 24, at the Gary Sub District, located at 7601 Melton Road in Gary. INDOT is looking to hire mechanics and will be holding on-site interviews for mechanic positions. Candidates should have a high school diploma or GED and have experience in equipment maintenance. In addition, the new starting pay for entry-level mechanic positions is $21.96 per hour. INDOT is also hiring for highway maintenance technicians, heavy equipment operators, and other positions. Highway technician starting pay is now $20 per hour with