Local News

Michigan City —Instrumental music students from several Michigan City Area Schools participated in the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) Solo and Ensemble contest on February 1 at Kankakee Valley Middle School. Nearly forty students earned gold and silver ratings for their performances. Thirteen eighth graders from Barker Middle School received a gold rating during the event on February 1: Angel Bahena (trombone), Anne Bellamy (alto saxophone), Katie Branch (trombone), Molly Chavis (trumpet), Aubree Edmond (flute), Payton Gambill (trumpet), Luke Hamilton (percussion), Levi Kelly (clarinet), Avery Kenney (percussion), Railynn Malwin (alto saxophone), Nevaeh Morris (baritone), Ava Rios (clarinet), and Samuel

A shooting that injured one person in Portage lead to a standoff in Lowell, resulting in the arrest of a Chicago man, according to the Portage Police Department. On Monday March 3 just after 4:20 pm, Portage P.D. patrol officers responded to the 200 block of Greta Court in reference to a report of a man being shot.  It was later learned that the shooting actually occurred nearby in the 300 block of Jacobs Place, but the victim had been moved to this second location by associates.  Upon arrival, officers located a twenty-eight-year-old Hobart man suffering from gunshot wounds to

Press Release, Porter County Superior Court IV: INDIANAPOLIS—Porter Superior Court 4 Judge Christopher Buckley is the 2025 National Alliance on Mental Illness (“NAMI”), Indiana Advocates for Mental Health Justice Award recipient of the Executive Advocate for Mental Health Justice Award. NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. The NAMI Indiana Advocates for Mental Health Justice Awards honor exceptional leadership, collaboration, and dedication to advancing mental health justice. Judge Buckley was elected to serve as Judge of the Porter

Check out what's happening this month at 219 Taproom in Chesterton!

A man was arrested on gun charges Sunday after allegedly firing shots, according to the Michigan City Police Department. On March 2, at around 4:24 p.m., the FLOCK RAVEN gunshot detection system alerted to shots being fired near the 500 block of East 11th Street. Soon after, the LaPorte County 911 Regional Dispatch Center received information indicating that Michigan City resident, Michael Johnson, was the person who fired the shots. Johnson was reported to still be in the 11th Street area. Several officers responded to the scene, including a Long Beach Police Department officer. Police say the initial investigation revealed

Michigan City  – Choral students from several Michigan City Area Schools showcased their talents at the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) Solo and Ensemble Contest, earning top ratings for their performances. The competition was held on Saturday, February 8, at Valparaiso High School, with many receiving gold and silver ratings. A total of 28 students from the Michigan City High School choral department participated, and 10 of them advanced to the ISSMA State Solo and Ensemble Competition at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis on Saturday, February 22. The students who qualified for state competition were Emma Abraham, Katelyn

The Food Bank of Northern Indiana announced mobile food distributions for the month of March: Wednesday, March 5, 2025 – Elkhart County 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET *While supplies last. Where: Excel Center, 154 E. Hively Ave., Elkhart, IN 46517 (Northside of building) *This distribution is sponsored by CVS and will serve 200 households. Thursday, March 6, 2025 – Kosciusko County 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET *While supplies last. Where: Kosciusko County Fairgrounds, 1400 E. Smith St., Warsaw, IN 46580 *This distribution is sponsored by Kroger and will serve 200 households. Wednesday, March 12, 2025 – LaPorte County

La PORTE, IN – City of La Porte Police Chief Dick Buell Tuesday announced his resignation from the department, according to La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody. Buell, who was sworn in in February of 2024, will step down effective immediately, stating in his resignation letter that he feels “it is now time for new leadership.” Dermody said Buell’s direction helped to guide the department following the retirement of former Chief Paul Brettin. "Dick was a fantastic leader and my kind of guy,” Dermody said. “His old school mentality and no-nonsense approach earned him the respect of the officers as well

Michigan City Police are investigating the death of a 5 year-old child, the department announced Monday night. On Sunday, March 2, at approximately 7:16 a.m., the LaPorte County Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 call reference an unresponsive five year old male child inside a residence in the 2200 block of Normandy Drive. Two officers responded to the scene as did the Michigan City Fire Department and LaPorte County EMS. The child was transported from the residence to Franciscan Hospital and from there, flown to the University of Chicago Children’s Comer Hospital for advanced medical treatment. Despite all efforts, the

News Release, Indiana Department of Natural Resources: The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) continues to detect highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds throughout Indiana and has currently detected the H5NI virus in 30 counties. HPAI is also suspected in an additional 32 counties based on reports involving the deaths of raptors, cranes, and waterfowl. Counties where avian influenza has been detected in wild birds currently are Adams, Allen, Bartholomew, Benton, Boone, Clinton, Decatur, Gibson, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Huntington, Jackson, Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Marion, Newton, Pike, Porter, Randolph, Ripley, Shelby, Starke, Tippecanoe, Union, Vanderburgh, and Vermillion.

The Portage Police Department introduced the four newest members of the Portage Police Department to be sworn in this year on Friday. Officer John Patston comes to the department from a neighboring jurisdiction with seventeen years of full-time law enforcement experience.  Thanks to this, Officer Patston was able to quickly complete his field training program, and he has been released for solo-patrol. Officer Anthony Mako is a 2019 graduate of Highland High School.  Prior to joining PPD Officer Mako served in the U.S. Navy and has a sales background. Officer Tiaan Coetzee is originally from South Africa but immigrated to

News Release, Franciscan Health: Board-certified family medicine physician Ted George Ody Achufusi, DO, MD, is now part of Franciscan Physician Network and is accepting patients in Michigan City. Dr. Ted Achufusi attended medical school at the Medical University of Lublin in Lublin, Poland and New York Institute of Technology’s College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, N.Y. Dr. Ted Achufusi’s clinical interests include alternative medicine; minor procedures such as joint injections and skin tag removal; osteopathic manipulative medicine; preventative health and women’s health. In addition to English, Dr. Ted Achufusi is fluent in Polish and Igbo. He is accepting new

National Consumer Protection Week is March 2 to March 8   To kick off National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Todd Rokita is reiterating his commitment to protecting Hoosier consumers, urging them to protect themselves from robocalls and report scams and fraudulent activities to his office’s Consumer Protection Division.   "Quite often, these robocalls are part of criminal schemes aimed at stealing Hoosiers' identities and taking your hard-earned money,” Attorney General Rokita said. “These annoying and illegal calls are the work of professional scammers looking to prey on unsuspecting victims. Make sure you take the necessary steps to protect yourself

ATTENTION: Lynyrd Skynyrd fans!  The Artimus Pyle Band comes to the Civic Auditorium on Friday, March 7! Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to experience this legendary performance live. Grab your tickets now and join us for a night of Southern Rock magic. Led by former Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Artimus Pyle, the band puts on a show that is high energy, true to the music and true to the era. Since his departure from Skynyrd in 1991, Pyle’s career has led him down an amazing path of solo records and projects culminating into one the

Center for Creative Solutions, Inc.® Announces Northwest Indiana’s Poetry Showcase for World Creativity and Innovation Week Northwest Indiana poets, April is your time to shine! Throughout the month, the Center for Creative Solutions will celebrate both World Creativity & Innovation Week, April 15-21, and National Poetry Month. All poets residing in La Porte, Porter, Lake, Starke, Jasper, Newton and Pulaski Counties are invited to share their work in the 9th annual “Juried Showcase of Poetry.” Indiana University professor, writer and poetry contest judge, Dr. William Allegrezza, is back again to share his expertise. For students K-12, the Center for Creative

Northwest Indiana Green Drinks  “Ready, Set, Go Native!" Katie Hobgood & Em Racine, Program Director & Engagement Manager, Save the Dunes THURSDAY, March 6, 2025, 6:30 pm CT / 7:30 pm ET Facebook Live or Zoom Meeting | Your Space | BYOB Do you have a pollinator garden or desire to start one? Are you concerned about our declining population of butterflies, birds, bees, and bugs? How would you register your yard, business, school, place of worship, or park with the National Wildlife Federation for community credit? Every spring for four consecutive years, Northwest Indiana Green Drinks welcomes experts in

U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-1st, will host a Virtual Community Forum at 5:30 p.m. (CT) Wednesday, March 5, on his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@RepMrvan The Town of Chesterton shared on it's Facebook page the following information: Information on a series of in-person Community Forums to be held in April at select locations in the 1st Congressional District will be released in the near future. “My office is here to serve the residents of Indiana’s First Congressional District and I look forward to hearing directly from individuals about any issues of concern at this Virtual Community Forum,” Mrvan said. Constituents

Complete the pre-reading and donation questions online at home, at your desk, or even on your phone - saving you 10-15 minutes when you get to the drive. Here is the link to get started: English: https://www.redcrossblood.org/rapidpass Spanish: https://www.redcrossblood.org/espanol/rapidpass.html And remember to prepare for your donation... *Drink extra water *Eat well *Bring your government-issued ID First time donating? Click on this link for some Common Questions about Donating Blood: https://www.portagein.gov/.../Common-Questions-about...

Stop by the today SUNDAY from 9a-3p for the last day of the Family Friendly FREE Builders Assn of LaPorte County Home & Lifestyle at the Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa in Michigan City. Free Admission. Free Parking. Bring your ideas and pics. Family friendly. Thank you to all of the sponsors this weekend We appreciate our WIMS Broadcast Partners including the Builders Association of La Porte County, Arnett Construction & Roofing and NIPSCO #wims #nwi #localradio

The Community comes together for the 2025 La Porte County Family YMCA State of the Y at Purdue Northwest. The La Porte County Family YMCA recently reflected on the State of the Y at Purdue Northwest with a number of Community leaders. CEO, Scott Helmkamp and Board Chair Jessica Romaine focused on the Y being " The Center of Community". The Event forcused on the growth across all programs, youth initiatives, wellness programs, community engagement and so much more. The program included the La Porte County Family YMCA 2024 Award Winners including the SHIRLEY HERMSEN Community Partner of the Year