Local News

The Town of Long Beach has pre-construction activities for their upcoming paving projects, scheduled to begin on April 8. These projects are part of ongoing efforts to improve the infrastructure and safety of the community. During this period, Rieth-Riley will be performing asphalt milling and HMA resurfacing, as well as installing drainage structures and making various stormwater infrastructure improvements. Local traffic is permitted, but access for non-local traffic is restricted. The town hopes to have paving dates available by mid-May. Juneway Drive from Goldengate Drive to Oriole Trail, April 8-11 Avondale Drive from Chastleton Drive to Lake Shore Drive, April

The City of La Porte announced Nest La Porte’s warming shelter has been extended for use through April. “Each night, the shelter operated by Nest La Porte provided dinner, breakfast, and a warm, safe place to sleep for individuals experiencing homelessness in La Porte during the coldest months of winter,” the City of La Porte said on their Facebook page. “This temporary warming shelter was planned through the end of March, but given the cold spring that we’ve been having, we are proud to share that we’ve extended our partnership into APRIL!” The shelter will remain open through much of

Spring Clean-up in Michigan City begins on Monday, April 7. The Refuse Department has issued a set of guidelines, a map and dates for each zone. The City is asking resident to have your items set out the Sunday prior to your scheduled pick-up week.      

A woman died in a crash Thursday involving a semi in La Porte County, the La Porte County Police siad in a statement. Just after 4:30 a.m., deputies responded to the intersection of US Highway 20 and County Road 300 East in Kankakee Township for a two-vehicle personal injury crash where a passenger vehicle was engulfed in flames. Upon the arrival of a deputy, he and a bystander attempted to remove the entrapped driver from the passenger vehicle but were unsuccessful, and the driver, 44-year-old Cary C. Canary from La Porte was declared deceased at the scene. The initial investigation

Press Release, La Porte Community School Corporation: La Porte—The La Porte Community School Corporation (LPCSC) is proud to announce open enrollment opportunities for the 2025-2026 school year. Families inside and outside district boundaries are invited to apply for enrollment in LPCSC's exceptional educational programs. "We're excited to welcome new students and families to our educational community," said Dr. Sandra Wood, Superintendent. "Our district provides a wide range of educational programs from early childhood to high school graduation, aimed at preparing students for success in a constantly evolving world." LPCSC distinguishes itself through numerous educational advantages: ● New Early Childhood Center:

Valpo Parks recently announced on their social media that starting Monday, April 7, construction begins on the new Foundation Meadows Park playground, with work expected to continue through April and May, weather permitting. Valpo Parks says that during construction, the Prairie Trails, StoryWalk, and restrooms will remain open for visitors to enjoy. To stay up to date on all projects included in the rePLAY initiative, visit their website: bit.ly/ValpoParksrePLAY .

Last week, Chesterton Police officers took part in advanced training using the VirTra V-300 simulator. The department said on its Facebook page that the dynamic simulator allows instructors to adjust scenarios in real-time based on an officer’s response, creating a realistic and adaptive training experience. Officers navigated a variety of situations, from using verbal de-escalation skills to talk with a suicidal subject to responding to active shooter incidents, honing their decision-making skills under pressure. The Chesterton Police Department says this type of training is invaluable in preparing their officers for real-world challenges while emphasizing de-escalation and proper response tactics. The

LaPorte County Solid Waste District’s Saturday hours start this week. Beginning this Saturday April 5, they will be open Monday-Saturday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Compost Site at 724 Zigler Road, La Porte. That includes the location being open on Saturdays as well for styrofoam and electronics dropoff.  

The Michigan City Human Rights Commission is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Humanitarian of the Year. Nomination forms are available by visiting www.emichgiancity.com/253/Human-Rights-Commission and paper copies of the nomination form are available at City Hall. The deadline to submit nominations is Tuesday May 6th, 2025. Nomination forms must be returned to: City Hall, Michigan City Human Rights Commission, 100 E. Michigan Blvd., Michigan City, IN 46360. As stated in the nomination form, the Humanitarian of the Year Award will be presented to someone who has significantly impacted the Michigan City community through volunteerism, leadership, and philanthropy; and is dedicated

The Chesterton Park Board, at its meeting Tuesday night voted unanimously to restore the four-sided post clock in Thomas Centennial Park, according to the Town of Chesterton Facebook page. The quoted price is just below $15,600. The restoration is to be performed by The Verdin Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. It will include a new time piece, dial gears, and clock hands; digital clock controller; new dial with Lexan covers and bezels with accent paint details; LED illumination system; and other related parts. More information can be found on the Town of Chesterton Facebook page.

This Friday in Valparaiso, City Hall will host a Blood Drive to benefit the American Red Cross, announced Mayor Jon Costas. Giving blood is an important way to support local health. The Red Cross is taking appointments for the Blood Drive, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. To schedule your appointment at City Hall or another site, visit redcrossblood.org

Photos of 3 of the 5 semis that were blown over by a strong gust of wind on I-65 NB just south of the Lowell exit on Wednesday. Thank you to the Indiana State Police-Lowell Post for the update. Be prepared. Be safe. #wims

TORNADO WATCH and HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK-be prepared-see the COUNTIES below TORNADO WATCH 99 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS INDIANA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE BENTON     BOONE      BROWN CARROLL     CASS        CLAY CLINTON     DAVIESS  FOUNTAIN FULTON       GRANT     GREENE HAMILTON HENDRICKS HOWARD JASPER       JOHNSON    KNOX KOSCIUSKO   LAKE   LAWRENCE LA PORTE   MARION    MARSHALL MARTIN   MIAMI   MONROE MONTGOMERY    MORGAN    NEWTON OWEN    PARKE     PORTER PULASKI    PUTNAM    STARKE SULLIVAN    TIPPECANOE    TIPTON VERMILLION   VIGO   WABASH WARREN   WHITE Hazardous Weather Outlook National

Great Grocery Giveaway from Bethany Church in La Porte-A Bethany Church Community Giveback Event! Bethany Church bought out all remaining foods from the Westville Grocery that closed - to give it away to families in need! The distribution is this Sunday, 4/6 at the Westville Grocery from 2-5pm.Families MUST preregister at: www.bethanylaporte.com.  Bags will be prepackaged with a variety of groceries - limit 2 bags per household. Thanks to the owners of Westville Grocery for working with us on this giveaway as well at the Center and New Durham Township Trustees. Volunteer or donate towards this at the same link

The City of La Porte and Mayor Tom Dermody announced on Tuesday that their Dumpster Program is back. Dermody credited Jeff Batchelor, Mike Fraze and their teams, for the program returning for its fourth year. The dumpster is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the 1206 2nd St for city residents only. "If the dumpster is full, please DO NOT pile trash on the ground in front of the dumpster. Likewise, if the gates are closed, that means the dumpster is full or is being dumped - DO NOT pile trash in front of the

The Food Bank of Northern Indiana announced its Mobile Food Distributions for April 2025:   Wednesday, April 2, 2025 – Elkhart County – PRODUCE ONLY 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. ET *While supplies last. Where: The HUB, 201 Division St., Bristol, IN 46507 *This distribution is sponsored by CVS and will serve 150 households.   Thursday, April 3, 2025 – Marshall County 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET *While supplies last. Where: Bourbon Helping Hands, 204 N. Washington St., Bourbon, IN 46504 *This distribution is sponsored by CVS and will serve 200 households.   Thursday, April 3, 2025 – Marshall

  PORTER COUNTY, Ind. - Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Rieth Riley Construction will close the intersection of State Road 149 and C.R. 875 N/Robbins Rd this week. The intersection will be closed to all traffic through the end of July for a vertical sight correction project. Motorists should seek alternate routes. The official detour for State Road 149 will follow U.S. 20, State Road 49 and U.S. 6.

CHESTERTON, IN — The Duneland Exchange Club has officially launched its annual Blue-Ribbon Campaign in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month. As part of the campaign, banners have been placed in Chesterton, Porter, and Burns Harbor to raise awareness and promote the importance of child abuse prevention throughout the community. Club members gathered on Saturday, March 29 for a kickoff event at the Duneland School Corporation’s Administration Building. Members wore blue to symbolize their commitment to the cause and took part in a photo opportunity before placing banners across the three towns. The Duneland Exchange Club encourages the public to

In Portage there is a lane closure at the intersection of Hamstrom Road and Portage Avenue due to fiber optic cable repairs being completed. This intersection has one lane open for East/West traffic between 7:00am and 5:00pm. Flaggers will be in the area to direct traffic.

The Town of Chesterton is letting the public know that people policing their yards of storm debris in Chesterton may call the Chesterton Street Department at 219-926-2222 for brush collection. Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg noted that he was aware of several privately owned trees toppled or damaged, including one in the 1300 block of Park Ave. which dropped on a car. Porter County Commissioner Jim Biggs, R-North, is reporting that a gust of 81 miles per hour was recorded at the Porter County Airport, equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane wind speed.