Local News

Michigan City, IN – Michigan City Area Schools is now accepting nominations for its 2026 Teacher and Employee of the Year recognition program. The initiative, which the district launched last school year, celebrates outstanding educators and staff members who have demonstrated exceptional dedication, innovation, and commitment to students. It is a key element of the district’s Strategic Plan, Culture and Environment Pillar. The Teacher and Employee of the Year program honors individuals who have gone above and beyond, making a positive impact on students, colleagues, and the community. Recipients will include: Elementary Teacher of the Year Secondary Teacher of the

LA PORTE COUNTY, INDIANA - In recognition of Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month, the Partners for Healthier Babies (PHB) Council is calling on all parents, grandparents, caregivers, and community members to make infant safe sleep a top priority. By following the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines, families can significantly reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and accidental suffocation and strangulation. SIDS is the leading cause of death of infants 1 - 12 months of age, with most SIDS deaths occurring during sleep. The exact cause of SIDS is unknown, but there are known risk factors and proven ways to reduce

The Valparaiso Police Department and Mayor Jon Costas are reminding the public of their ongoing commitment to promote safe firearm storage, offering free gun safety locks for residents. “Safe firearm storage is one of the most effective ways to prevent accidental shootings, especially involving children, and to reduce the risk of firearm theft,” said Valparaiso Police Chief Andrew McIntyre. “Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for every gun owner in our community to store their firearms safely and responsibly." Free gun locks are available at the Valparaiso Police Department, located at 355 Washington St., Monday through

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. – Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC (“NIPSCO”) announced today that additional energy assistance programs are now open for enrollment to income-eligible customers struggling to pay their gas utility bills. Available programs include NIPSCO Hardship, SERV (Supply Energy Resources to Veterans) and SILVER (Seniors in Indiana Low-Income and Vulnerable Energy Resources). Eligible customers can apply through May 31, 2026, or until funds are exhausted. Programs provide a one-time benefit of up to $550 per year to help cover NIPSCO residential gas utility bills. As the weather gets colder, customers using natural gas to heat their homes and businesses

Portions of Weller Avenue and Craven Drive are closed for utility work. Later this fall, following the completion of Weller and Craven, Lake Shore Drive will also be closed for construction. Work will continue into November. Those wanting access to the Stone Lake boat ramp or Lions Field should follow the recommended detour and enter the park off Orchard Avenue.

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Hematologist and medical oncologist William Bae, MD, is now part of the Franciscan Physician Network and is accepting new patients in Michigan City. Dr. Bae earned his medical degree from Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Kaiser Permanente Hawaii in Honolulu and completed his fellowship in hematology oncology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His clinical interests include colorectal cancer, lung cancer and genitourinary cancers such as prostate, bladder and kidney cancer. In addition to English, Dr. Bae also speaks Korean. Dr. Bae is accepting

A New York man is in jail after leading the Indiana State Police and several other assisting agencies on a pursuit that spanned four counties on Thursday, according Sgt. Ted Bohner of the Indiana State Police Bremen Post. At about 8:20 a.m. a trooper attempted to stop a gray Kia passenger car traveling westbound for speeding on the Indiana Toll Road near mile marker 93 in Elkhart County. The trooper, who was driving a marked Indiana State Police Dodge Durango reports that as soon as he turned on his red and blue emergency lights the driver of the Kia increased

COME & MAKE A DIFFERENCE, as The Salvation Army of Michigan City and La Porte, First Trust Credit Union, Al’s Supermarkets, WIMS radio, La Porte Community School Corporation, and Michigan City Area Schools celebrate 22 years of hosting the “STUFF A BUS” food drive for The Salvation Army’s food pantry. Through today Oct. 3, you can make a monetary donation or donate non-perishable food items at First Trust’s Michigan City Branch at 950 E. U.S. Highway 20 and 402 J Street in La Porte. In addition, on Saturday, October 4th, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., volunteers will be filling

LAPORTE, IN – As the 2025-26 school year gets underway, the La Porte High School Coffee Club is once again brewing up success with its annual Grand Opening celebration. Now in its third year of operation, the student-run business continues to serve as both a popular campus destination and a valuable learning space for aspiring entrepreneurs. The Coffee Club, which operates under the guidance of business teacher Angie LaRocco, has evolved from a grant-funded startup to a self-sustaining enterprise. LaRocco, who has watched the program flourish since its inception, expressed pride in her students' achievements. "I'm incredibly proud of the

In La Porte County, State Road 8 is closed between County Road 875 West and County Road 600 West. State Road 8 is closed through mid-October for a bridge deck overlay project over Bessler Ditch. INDOT says motorists should seek alternate routes. The official detour will follow U.S. 421, U.S. 30 and State Road 39.

Michigan City Animal Control says they have been made aware of illegal trapping of cats going on in the city. If you see unauthorized people trapping, please contact animal control or the non emergency police at 219-874-3221. Michigan City Animals Control also said the following: “Reminder: per ordinance no. 4025,  Sec 14-8 (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to set, trigger, activate or otherwise use, or cause to be set, triggered, activated or used, any traps except cage-type live traps within the city. Such traps must be placed in a shaded area and must be checked no less

Press release by Michigan City Area Schools:  “Life is unfair.” One of the most important lessons that students learn in high school competitions is to deal with adversity. Be it athletics or academics, students will go against schools that are larger, more experienced, more talented, more affluent. A team can choose to either wallow in self-pity, or roll their sleeves up, work harder, and never give up. The cadets of the Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) chose the latter in their Raider Meet at Hobart High School on Saturday, September 27th. Raiders

The La Porte Police Department announced an arrest in connection to a recent homicide. On Sunday, Sept. 28, at approximately 8:50 PM, officers from the La Porte Police Department responded to a medical emergency at a residence in the 1400 block of Jefferson Avenue. Upon arrival, officers located 58-year-old Aaron Stingley, who was unconscious. He was treated on scene by EMS and transported to Northwest Health La Porte, where he was later pronounced deceased. During the course of the investigation, family members alleged that Mr. Stingley’s stepson, Breon M. Ware, had strangled him during an altercation that evening. Ware was

Join Team WIMS at the United Way of La Porte County’s UNITED WE RISE celebration on Friday Oct. 10 at Four Winds New Buffalo. UNITED WE RISE is a celebration of our collective commitment to uplifting La Porte County and a concerted effort to raise the funds necessary to help everyone in our community thrive. More than a gala, UNITED WE RISE is a movement. It is a strategic change in the way we are working together to uplift everyone in La Porte County. By collectively advocating for your support, we amplify your financial investment and reduce resource strain for

Service Advisory: Temporary Overnight Busing, Hegewisch-East Chicago Oct. 3-4, 2025 As part of its ongoing commitment to safety, the South Shore Line announces it will host a multi-team emergency preparedness drill on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, between Tulip Road and Smilax Road in New Carlisle, Ind. The federally mandated drill is a key component in the SSL’s continuing efforts to familiarize first responders with railroad crisis response procedures. It is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET and last through approximately 8 p.m. ET on Oct. 1. The event will cause scheduled train services to reduce speeds while moving through

Two men were jailed after Indiana Conservation Officer Ryan Vanderlugt caught them netting and taking over the limit of salmon from Trail Creek over the weekend, according to the Indiana DNR. The DNR says a third subject fled on foot and will face additional charges after leaving his identification at the scene. The fish were confiscated and donated to the Michigan City Zoo.  

Michigan City, IN -- The Michigan City Police Department, Michigan City Fire Department, and Michigan City Area Schools will once again be “United for the United Way” as they hold their traditional Car Wash fundraiser today. Representatives from the three entities will be stationed at the MCAS Plant Planning parking lot across from Ames Field from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Again this year, a “waterless wash” option is available for those who prefer to donate but do not want to have a vehicle washed. In addition, all donations made online on October 1 at https://www.unitedwaylpc.org/ will be credited to

In Lake County, Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Superior Construction will move to phase five of pavement patching work on I-65 between 93rd Avenue and Central Avenue next week. Overnight lane closures will occur on I-65 southbound during the hours of 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. for one night to switch traffic into the next configuration. While weather dependent and subject to change, this is currently scheduled for Wednesday, October 1. Once complete, I-65 southbound will have three lanes shifted to the left with the work zone on the right. The farthest left lane will continue to be a counterflow

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 - Starke County 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. CT *While supplies last. Where: Knox United Methodist Church, 201 Shield St., Knox, IN 46534 *This distribution is sponsored by Indiana OCRA and USDA will serve 150 households. Thursday, October 2, 2025 – St. Joseph County 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. ET *While supplies last. Where: The former Kroger parking lot, 4526 W. Western Ave., South Bend, IN 46619 *This distribution is sponsored by Indiana OCRA and will serve 150 households. Friday, October 3, 2025 – Kosciusko County 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET *While supplies last. Where:

IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE The Compost Site at 724 Zigler Rd. will remain closed until further notice, effective Monday, September 29th. Currently the District is working on clean-up from the fire. We apologize for the inconvenience and will update as soon as we are able to open back up. LaPorte County Solid Waste District