Local News

In Porter County an Indiana Department of Transportation contractor will close U.S. 12 under State Road 249 beginning on or after Monday, July 14. U.S. 12 will first be closed in the eastbound direction for approximately three days. Traffic going eastbound on U.S. 12 will be diverted to southbound State Road 249 and can use the official detour of U.S. 20 and State Road 149. Traffic will have access to eastbound U.S. 12 from northbound State Road 249. U.S. 12 will then be closed in the westbound direction for approximately three days on or after Thursday, July 17. The official

The Portage Police Department announced on social media Wednesday, the passing of former K9 Haro. The Portage Police K9 Units Facebook page made the following statement: “It is with great sadness that we have to inform everyone that retired Portage PD K9 Haro who has been bravely fighting cancer and other medical conditions for over a year, had to be euthanized last night and crossed over the rainbow bridge.  We want to send our condolences to his handler/partner/best bud Cpl Price and his loving family who miss him dearly. Haro was such a great partner and beloved member of our

Saturday, July 12 9:00 am: Horse & Pony judging; Draft Horse timed events 10:00 am - 6:00 pm: Curious Kids & Tractor Trail 10:00 am: Artisan Auction (Pioneerland) 11:00 am: Extreme Raptors 1:00 pm: Carnival ($35 rides) 2:00 pm: Extreme Raptors 2:30 pm: Extreme Raptors 3:00 pm: Silly Safari (Pioneerland) 4:00 pm: Neil Alliesee (Entertainment Tent) 5:00 pm: Silly Safari (Pioneerland) 6:00 pm: Antique Tractor Parade 6:30 pm: Live Shark Encounter 7:00 pm: Silly Safari (Pioneerland) All Week Community Conservation Walk tours – sign up at the Soil & Water Booth

To accommodate passengers attending the Chicago Fire FC match taking place at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Soldier Field, 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. As 18th St. Station is not a regularly scheduled stop, SSL passengers utilizing 18th St. for this event should purchase tickets for Museum Campus/11th Street. The following trains will serve 18th St. Station on July 12 (Please cross-reference the SSL train schedule to find all station stop times for your selected train):

The LaCrosse location of Heinold & Feller burned last night and appears to be a total loss. From the FACEBOOK page of Heinold & Feller Tire Company & Lawn Equipment  "The LaCrosse location of Heinold & Feller burned last night and appears to be a total loss. God is so good. No one was hurt, we believe all the fire department people are safe even though they work so hard. How thankful we are for the community where we live. There were at least 13 volunteer fire departments and the hazmat department working together like hand in glove, and so

On Wednesday, July 09, Porter County officials and staff held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the newly renovated areas of the Porter County Administration Building, including the Health Department, Veterans Service Office and Coroner’s Office. The $1.48 million project began in October 2024 and wrapped up in June, 2025. With support from ARPA, Health First Indiana and COVID immunization funding, the upgrades improve both the workspaces and services provided to Porter County residents. “We’re excited to welcome people into a space that truly meets the needs of our patients and staff,” said Carrie Gschwind, administrator for the Porter County Health Department.

In Lake County, an Indiana Department of Transportation contractor will close State Road 2 between Marshall St and State Road 55 on or after Monday, July 14. State Road 2 will be closed for approximately two weeks for bridge repairs at Spring Run Creek. Motorists should seek alternate routes. The official detour will follow U.S. 41, State Road 10 and I-65.

Press Release, Michigan City Police Department: The LaPorte County Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 call on July 9th at 07:13 PM regarding an adult male discharging a firearm towards two adult females in the 1200 block of Elston Street. The suspect then drove away from the scene prior to officers arriving. There were no reported injuries in the 1200 block of Elston Street as it pertains to the initial call for service. An officer from Uniform Patrol Shift 2 later located the suspect vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. The male driver of this vehicle stopped at the intersection

Friday, July 11 9:00 am: 4-H Livestock Auction; 4-H Pie Auction & Horse/Pony judging 10:00 am - 7:00 pm: Curious Kids & Tractor Trail; Petting Zoo & Buildings open 11:00 am: Extreme Raptors 12:00 pm: Pioneerland opens 1:00 pm: Carnival ($35 rides) 2:00 pm: Extreme Raptors 3:00 pm: Silly Safari (Pioneerland) 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm: Jim Post Band (Entertainment Tent) 5:00 pm: Silly Safari (Pioneerland) 6:00 pm: Antique Tractor Parade 6:30 pm: Extreme Raptors 7:00 pm: Silly Safari; The Aftermath (Entertainment Tent); Demolition Derby ($15) For more information check out www.lpfair.com

Michigan City & La Porte, IN – The Collective invites families to Farmed & Forged Market for a weekend filled with fun, learning, and fresh local food as they launch Curious Chefs, a new program designed to inspire kids to become healthy eaters and enthusiastic supporters of local food. Kids Weekend begins Saturday, July 12 in Michigan City and continues Sunday, July 13 in La Porte. Both events feature free activities, live demonstrations, and special giveaways designed to make the farmers market even more engaging for kids of all ages. Michigan City Market – Saturday, July 12 | 8 AM

In Michigan City, the long-awaited repair of the CSX rail crossing at Woodland Avenue has been scheduled, CSX officials confirmed to the city Wednesday. Weather permitting, repairs are expected to begin on Monday, July 14 and be complete by Saturday, July 19. That segment of Woodland will be closed during repairs, so motorists are advised to seek an alternate route of travel throughout the week.

Valparaiso, IN—Shirley Heinze Land Trust is proud to announce the achievement of a milestone in land preservation. Following the recent acquisition of the Big Eastern property in rural Starke County, Shirley Heinze Land Trust now protects more than 4,000 acres of land in northwestern Indiana. “For over sixty years, the Lucas family has treasured and provided stewardship for this fascinating and biodiverse sand country landscape,” said Marty Lucas, President of Big Eastern, Incorporated, on behalf of the Lucas family. “When we learned of the Next Level Conservation Trust program, we realized the time had come for us to pass the

Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. says the department has received information about a couple of scams targeting Lake County residents recently. "Fraudsters have been pretending to be employees of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and demanding payment for phony warrants and jail bonds, Martinez said in a statement. Martinez also stated the following: "The Lake County Sheriff’s Department and/or Lake County Jail will NEVER: -Contact individuals by phone or email regarding warrants -Ask for payment for a warrant over the phone -Request payment for a warrant or bond using gift cards -Request payment for a warrant or bond through

Thursday, July 10 8:00 am: 4-H Dairy & Open-class judging 10:00 am - 7:00 pm: Curious Kids & Tractor Trail; Petting Zoo & Buildings open 11:00 am: Extreme Raptors 12:00 pm: Story Time with the Queen 1:00 pm: Carnival ($35 rides); Bear Hollow Carvers 2:30 pm: Extreme Raptors 3:00 pm: Silly Safari (Pioneerland) 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm: Johnny V (Entertainment Tent); Bear Hollow Carvers 5:00 pm: Silly Safari (Pioneerland) 6:00 pm: Supreme Showman Contest; Antique Tractor Parade 6:30 pm: Extreme Raptors 7:00 pm: Crawpuppies (Entertainment Tent); Silly Safari; Warren Zeiders w/ Austin Williams (Grandstands) 8:00 pm: Bear Hollow Carvers

Press Release by Unity Foundation of La Porte County: LA PORTE COUNTY, IN— Unity Foundation of La Porte County recently received accreditation with Community Foundations National Standards®, the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. This accreditation confirms that Unity Foundation meets the legal, ethical, and operational standards set for community foundations nationwide. “Meeting the National Standards benchmarks is a rigorous, comprehensive process,” said Susie Nelson, board chair of National Standards. “This accreditation is a significant accomplishment that indicates Unity Foundation of La Porte County demonstrates a commitment to transparency, quality, integrity and accountability as it carries out its mission.” The

Press Release by American Heart Association: Bill requires schools to have a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan at events The American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, applauds Indiana legislators and Gov. Mike Braun for protecting students, families and staff members by requiring schools to have a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP) for all school events. “Indiana is the latest in a growing number of states nationwide that are moving to better prepare schools and school athletic programs to respond to cardiac arrests with the creation of cardiac emergency response plans,” said Christina Cesnik, Indiana

La Porte — La Porte Community School Corporation is excited to announce that Elizabeth Wiesemann has accepted the position of Associate Principal at La Porte High School for the 2025-26 school year. Mrs. Wiesemann has been the Principal of Kingsbury Elementary School since July 2015. Before that, she served as the Assistant Principal at La Porte High School from 2014 to 2015 and began her career with the La Porte Community School Corporation (LPCSC) in 2006 as a fourth-grade teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from DePauw University, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and a Master of Arts in

STATEHOUSE – Local students preparing to become teachers are among this year's recipients of the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship, according to State Rep. Ed Soliday (R-Valparaiso). The scholarship program, established in 2016 through legislation passed by the Indiana General Assembly, awards a renewable scholarship of up to $10,000 per year (up to $40,000 total) to high-achieving high school and college students who agree to teach in an eligible Indiana school for five years. A record-breaking 1,091 students applied for the 2025-2026 Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship, with nearly 300 scholarships awarded. "Good teachers are essential to educating and preparing our

Here is your schedule for Wednesday July 09th at the LAPORTE COUNTY FAIR   Wednesday, July 9, 2025 Gates Open at 10am Sponsored by Keystone Cooperative   8:00am: 4-H Swine Judging Begins (Livestock Arena)   9:00am: 4-H Rooster Crowing Contest, and Turkey Gobbling Contest (Poultry and Pigeon Building)   10:00am Bear Hollow Wood Carvers (Entrance of Pioneerland)   10:00am -7:00pm: The Curious Kids Trail and Tractor Trail   10:00am: All Buildings Open, Petting Zoo Open   11:00am: Extreme Raptors Birds of Prey   12:00: Story Time with the Queen   1:00pm: Skerbeck Carnival Rides 4- $35 Unlimited Rides   1:00pm:

The American Red Cross urges all donors to give blood or platelets now to keep the blood supply strong this summer. Type O blood products are most needed on hospital shelves – especially in the face of summer challenges that can quickly cause blood and platelet reserves to drop.   In addition to summer fun and holidays, severe summer weather can have a sudden impact on the ability to collect blood and platelets. Scheduling and keeping donation appointments are crucial this month to ensure blood products are constantly available in the weeks to come for all patients, including those in