Local News

A suspect is in custody after one person died in an apartment fire in Portage early Tuesday. On Tuesday Sept. 17, at approximately 12:10 am police and fire units were dispatched to the 3300 block of Swanson Court Apartments in reference to an active structure fire. Upon arrival, police units found visible smoke and flames erupting from a ground floor unit. Officers assisted in evacuating the apartment building where the fire was occurring as well as the adjoining building. Firefighters began to battle the blaze and affected the rescue of a resident who was trapped on their second-floor balcony. After

Press release, Purdue University Northwest: HAMMOND and WESTVILLE, Ind. — Purdue University Northwest (PNW) welcomed 1,700 new undergraduate students for the fall 2024 semester and the largest number of graduate students since before the pandemic, contributing to stable core enrollment with continued growth in graduate programs and students transferring to the university. Total enrollment grew to 9,051, up 4.3% from 2023-24. This figure includes students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate and online programs, plus high school students pursuing dual credit courses through PNW. Core student enrollment, which measures the number of students attending classes on the PNW campuses, remained steady at

Press release, Scott D. Pelath: MICHIGAN CITY — Kankakee River Basin and Yellow River Basin Development Commission (“the Commission”) has earned statewide honors for recent flood protection work along the Kankakee River. At its annual conference last week, the Indiana Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management (INAFSM) presented the Commission with its annual “Outstanding Floodplain Project Award” for its work to manageably contain floodwaters in the Kankakee watershed. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Water and Christopher B. Burke Engineering shared recognition as consultants for the project. “The Commission highly values innovation alongside tried and true methods

Valpo Parks has announced that their maintenance team has added safety lights under all of their park shelters. The department says this will provide additional lighting for park-goers, especially during evening hours. More information on Valpo Parks can be found at www.valpoparks.org.

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - An Indiana Department of Transportation contractor will be conducting concrete pavement restoration on U.S. 30 at the interchange with I-65 beginning on or after Sunday, Sept. 22.Work will be conducted in three phases, each beginning on Sunday evening at approximately 8 p.m. and ending Friday morning at approximately 5 a.m. Lane and ramp closures will be in place during this timeframe and will reopen over the weekend before the next phase begins. Closures will change for each phase. During phase one beginning on or after Sunday, Sept. 22 through Friday, Sept. 27, the right two lanes

The Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) earned first and second place trophies at the Indianapolis Ben Davis High School Raider Meet. The Wolves won the Raider Fitness Challenge event and was the runner-up in the Raider Gauntlet event. Raider competitions are composed of different team physical fitness events that are based on physical tasks that could be required in combat. Logistics support for the cadets was provided by MCJROTC Booster Club President Ms. Donna Schliephake and the Michigan City Area Schools Transportation Department. Major Tom McGrath, the Senior Marine Instructor, commended the

On Tuesday, 9/17 – preparations for paving will begin on Southwind Dr from Village Rd to the North Dead End, with paving being done on Wednesday, 9/18.  Concrete removals have also commenced on W Garfield St from Winski St to Wabash St.  All construction is weather permitting.  Updates will be provided as they become available.  

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Erin Meisner is focusing on the social side of economic development as the Community Development Manager at the EDCMC. The role is a new addition to the Economic Development Corporation Michigan City team that strengthens the ties between the city of Michigan City and the EDCMC for a collaborative approach to socio-economic opportunities. The position is a partnership between the EDCMC and the city. “As we look to drill down our impact on our community and neighborhoods, we needed a servant leader in the role to best guide the processes,” said EDCMC Executive Director Clarence L. Hulse.

WALLACE AND KHAIRY NAMED BARBARA S. FRIEDMAN POET LAUREATES Two La Porte County residents, Valerie Wallace and Shokria Khairy, were recently named the Barbara J. Friedman Poet Laureates for the 2024-2025 year. The announcement was made during the recent Poetry Showcase, a part of World Creativity & Innovation Week. Wallace was honored as the county’s poet laureate in the adult category while Shokria Khairy received the youth award. Currently, Khairy is a 10th-grade student at La Lumiere High School in La Porte. An award-winning writer, Wallace authored several books. House of McQueen (Four Way Books, 2018) was selected by Vievee

Thursday, Rep. Frank J. Mrvan announced federal grant awards for Crown Point, Merrillville, Portage, and Valparaiso under the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant program. According to the DOT, the SS4A Grant program aims to improve roadway safety by supporting communities in developing plans to implement infrastructure projects designed to reduce transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries. Crown Point will receive $280,000, Merrillville will receive $280,000, Portage will receive $280,000, and Valparaiso will receive $200,000 to develop comprehensive safety action plans that aim to eliminate roadway fatalities. Congressman Mrvan stated, “Congratulations to all the leaders

The 6600 block of Lakeland Avenue between Juniper Street and Moss Street will be closed to traffic beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Monday Sept. 16. The City's Utility Department will be excavating across the width of the road. This repair should be complete by the end of the day on Sept. 16, weather permitting.  

News release, NIPSCO: Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC (NIPSCO), a subsidiary of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI), has made a request with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) to adjust its electric rates. Continued investments in renewable energy largely drive the request to support the company’s ongoing electric generation transition, along with infrastructure upgrades to provide enhanced safety and reliability. As demonstrated by the company’s Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) process in 2018 and 2021, making these investments now is the most cost-effective approach for customers over the long term. While the proposed increase was filed with the IURC today, it

Pioneer Cays will be happening Saturday and Sunday September 28th and September 29th from 10am-4pm.   Pioneer Days event is approaching quickly! Please come out and enjoy a day at Creek Ridge County Park and enjoy the great stations we’ll have set up. Ham and Beans, kettle corn, apple butter and more food available for donation as well as many hands on activities for the kids. Draft horse wagon rides and ceramic painting will be back this year as well. We’ll also have Jimbo’s and Downtown Delights on site as vendors. Come support our park programming and the La Porte

Duneland School Corporation Dr. Chit Pettit released the following statement on school safety late Friday, Sept. 13: “This week, there have been several safety concerns brought to the attention of Duneland School Corporation (DSC) building administrators and our School Resource Officers (SRO). When a safety concern is received, school administrators and SROs conduct an immediate investigation and work together to proactively address the concern. Information is shared with students and families when safety measures are implemented. At no time this week have any of the safety concerns been determined to be legitimate or a threat to any school or individual

The following is a statement from NPUSC Superintendent Paul White about a rumor of a threat to New Prairie Middle School: Dear NPUSC Families and Staff, This morning as students were arriving at New Prairie Middle School, administration received a report of a rumor of a threat to New Prairie Middle School (NPMS).  Students arriving to school were brought into the gym upon arrival. Multiple School Resource Officers are present at NPMS and will be present throughout the school day. Students and their backpacks are being searched prior to students being sent to classes by administration and SROs. There is

The Westville Police Department Facebook page is reporting a phone scam. The department stated the following: “Today I received an automated call claiming to be a civil claims department urging me to call back to settle my delinquent account. Oddly enough, when I called back and they realized it was a police department number, they were quick to hang up... Phone scammers will frequently focus on geographical areas and can be intimidating to some people. Just be aware that the calls are coming around and do not provide any of your personal identifying information to anyone over the phone.”

The following statement is from the Jasper County Sheriff's Department: The Jasper County Sheriff’s Department (JCSD) has been collaborating closely with the Kankakee Valley School Corporation (KVSC) in response to recent threatening social media posts. The individual responsible for the direct threat made toward Kankakee Valley Middle School (KVMS) has been identified, and charges have been filed. KVMS is adhering to Indiana law and its student conduct policy regarding the incident. Additional social media posts have been reported to both the JCSD and KVSC. Each report is thoroughly investigated by both parties. However, following JCSD's investigation, these other posts have

Press release La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership: La PORTE, IN  - The Sunflower Fair celebrates its twenty-fifth year in the heart of Downtown La Porte on Saturday, September 21! The fair that celebrates community and creativity will begin at 8:00 a.m. and will last until 4:00 p.m. This unique fair is situated along beautiful Michigan Avenue between Lincolnway and Noble Street. Sponsors of this event include Arnett Construction & Roofing and Visit Michigan City La Porte. Supporting sponsors include the Urban Enterprise Association of La Porte as well as NIPSCO. With over 100 craft and specialty vendors, the Sunflower Fair

The Valparaiso Police Department says they were informed on Thursday about a possible threat at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. Police say the threat was immediately investigated by the Valparaiso Police Department and Valparaiso Community Schools staff. "The threat was found to not be credible; however, the persistence of rumors led to a few athletic teams to temporarily secure in their respective locker rooms during after school activities, as an exercise of caution," VPD said in a statement. "The joint (VPD and VCS) investigation determined that no evidence was found to support these rumors and will continue to take these matters

Bridge #39 Closure-Road Closure from 500 East to 100 South FROM: Connie Gramarossa, LaPorte County Commission DATE: 9/12/2024 Notice is hereby given that the Board of Commissioners of LaPorte County have closed County Bridge #39 located on 525 East over the Little Kankakee River until further notice. 525 East will be closed from East Division Road to 100 South. It will be open to local traffic only