Local News

Several local organizations have announced a community-wide school supply drive, which runs through August 7. Supplies collected during the drive will be distributed to area students who are in need of materials to start the school year. Many area businesses have set up collection bins to accept donations from their employees and the general public. Collection sites are located at Al’s Supermarket (Franklin Street and Karwick locations), First Trust Credit Union, the Michigan City Area Schools’ Administration Building, Members Advantage Credit Union, Peepers Reading Glasses, Reins of Life (Michigan City location), Restore Dental Arts, the Salvation Army of Michigan City,

News release, Purdue Extension La Porte County: La Porte County has 45 ten year 4-H members for 2024.  They were honored with a recognition evening on Monday, June 17th at the LaPorte County Fairgrounds.  Thank you to Paul Marsh Nationwide Insurance Agency, Kankakee Valley REMC, Thode Floral, LaPorte County Farm Bureau, LaPorte County Agricultural Association and LaPorte County 4-H Council for making the event possible.   Emma Bennett, Clinton Climbers 4-H Club, parents Kelli & Chris Bennett Jacob Bennett, LaPorte City Firestars 4-H Club, parents Melissa Bennett Madison Bicker, Wagonmasters 4-H Club, parent Amanda Bicker Ayden Bladecki, Wagonmasters 4-H Club,

Press Release, Franciscan Health: VALPARAISO, Indiana -- Family medicine nurse practitioner Jennifer Milchak is now part of the Franciscan Physician Network and is accepting new patients in Valparaiso. Jennifer Milchak, NP, is board-certified and earned her master of science degree as a nurse practitioner from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion. She earned her bachelor of science degree in nursing from Purdue University Northwest in Hammond. In addition to family medicine, Milchak’s clinical interests include physicals, well exams, pediatrics, newborns, adolescents, ADD, ADHD, preventative healthcare, screenings, patient education and women’s health. Milchak is accepting new patients at the Franciscan Physician Network

To accommodate passengers attending the Rolling Stones concert taking place at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 27, and Sunday, June 30, 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 June 27 and June 30 (Please click here for a full list of station stop times):

To enhance safety for motorists and pedestrians, the City of Valparaiso will be stepping up enforcement efforts for traffic violations that lead to accidents, particularly speeding. “We simply want to remind motorists of speed limits and safe driving habits so pedestrians can comfortably share the roadways with vehicles,” said Mayor Jon Costas. “There are essentially three E’s in traffic management – education, engineering and enforcement,” said Mayor Jon Costas. The Valparaiso Police Department has historically focused on education, issuing verbal or written warnings to remind motorists of speeds and safety concerns. Engineering – adding signage and traffic calming features like

Press Release, Porter County Health Department: The Porter County Health Department is excited to announce the launch of the Porter County Find Help website, a custom resource page for Porter County, now live at https://portercounty.findhelp.com. Since it began in 2010, Find Help has provided a free platform where individuals can access free or reduced-cost resources based on location and categories, such as food, housing, healthcare, transportation, education, employment, legal services and more. Sam Burgett, Social Worker with the Porter County Sheriff’s Office, started this initiative alongside the Community Resource Network (CRN) she founded while at the Valparaiso Police Department. For

Press Release, Indiana Builders Association: The Indiana Finance Authority unveiled the recipients of the loans from the first round of the Residential Infrastructure Fund (RIF). 11 Indiana communities were approved to receive $51 million in loans to finance infrastructure projects that support residential housing development. Communities were selected based on the need for additional housing inventory to accommodate local job growth. The recipients are included below:   Applicant                          Site Name                                           County              

On Sunday, June 23, 2024, at approximately 6:44 p.m. Porter Police were made aware of a possible drowning at Porter Beach. Porter Police Lieutenant J. Holaway arrived on scene and immediately noticed a life ring (water rescue device) missing from the post where it is normally stored. Beachgoers informed him it was being utilized to rescue multiple juveniles in the water and directed him to the location. A group of friends advised officers they observed a juvenile female struggling in the water. Visitors of the beach banded together and pulled her to shore. While doing so, they observed another juvenile

Franciscan Health Michigan City staff members were recently honored with the hospitals’ annual awards. Emergency department nurse LeAnn Collins received the St. Camillus Award, emergency medicine physician Dr. Christina Foreman received the St. Luke Award and environmental services associate Frank Serrano received the St. Joseph Award.   Each year, Franciscan Health Michigan City awards the St. Luke Award to honor a physician and the St. Camillus Award to honor a registered nurse. The winner of the St. Luke award, named for the patron saint of physicians and surgeons, is nominated by and voted upon by the nursing staff. The St.

With summer now officially here, Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department would like to remind residents and visitors to have a fire safe summer. Whether you plan to use a grill for a grand barbecue or enjoy a refreshing swim or other outdoor activities. A cautious reminder to keep safety at the forefront when planning these activities is important to prevent serious injuries or death. According to the National Fire Protection Association, grilling-related fires peak in July (16%). Gas grills were involved in an average of 8,900 home fire per year, with leaks or breaks being the primary issue found. Charcoal

Press Release, Franciscan Health: MICHIGAN CITY, Indiana – Franciscan Health Michigan City is presenting the latest installment in its free, faith-based church diabetes initiative, Fan Out Diabetes. Franciscan Health Michigan City’s Fan Out Diabetes program is a faith-based diabetes initiative that pairs minority LaPorte County church congregations with the healthcare system and community organizations to bring two-day diabetes education, prevention and detection mini workshops – free of charge – to the church after Sunday services. The events feature education, screenings, insurance enrollment assistance and more. The next sessions will take place at 12:30 p.m. Central on July 14 and Aug.

The City of Valparaiso will offer free rides on the V-Line intracity bus on election days to encourage voter turnout and community engagement. “Transportation should not be an obstacle to participating in elections,” said Mayor Jon Costas at the Board of Public Works and Safety where the decision was made. “We want to encourage our community to participate in government at the local level and beyond,” he said. The idea of offering free transit was introduced by City Council Member Barbara Domer (District 3) who advanced the idea for general elections. When the idea was introduced, the board chose to

The City of La Porte is looking for volunteer groups to spread safety surface on playgrounds. Other volunteer opportunities available as well. Visit www.laporteparkandrec.com/volunteer or contact Emily Archambault at 219-326-9600 or by e-mail at earchambault@cityoflaportein.gov for more information.  

The Valparaiso Police Department is again participating in National Night Out, which is scheduled for Tuesday, August 6, 2024. National Night Out is a nationwide event, bringing communities and police together under positive conditions, creating an exchange of ideas, and developing a partnership with citizens.  The festivities will begin at 6:00 p.m. as they will once again be making stops within subdivisions and organized groups throughout the night.  Start planning your activities and events today, as prior years have included games, ice cream socials, cook outs, and small block parties. The Valparaiso Police Department is inviting community members and neighborhood

The St. Joseph County Police Department has given an update to a fatal rollover crash that occurred Thursday night. At about 11:45 p.m., St. Joseph County Police were dispatched to State Road 2 and Pine Road for a verbal altercation between two drivers involved in a traffic accident. Upon arrival, a county officer found only one of the drivers remaining on scene. Rene Hernandez-Ramirez informed the officer that the other driver left the scene in a gray SUV heading north on Pine. As the officer was still talking with Hernandez-Ramirez, a police radio dispatch went out for a single vehicle

In Portage, starting Monday, June 24 through Friday, June 28 Airport Road will be closed to through traffic between Central Avenue and Lute Road. The Prairie Duneland Trail parking lot off Airport Road will also be closed. This closure is for the purposes of concrete removal in preparation for a paving project. Dates are weather dependent. Detour routes will be posted.

The Michigan City Parks & Recreation Department announces that there will be a special events parking fee on Thursday, July 4, 2024. View the full release on WIMS' FACEBOOK page as well as here. #wims #michigancity Michigan City Parks & Recreation Department

The Michiana Humane Society will be giving pets microchips for $10 on June 29 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Register your pet, then bring them to Michiana Humane Society to get chipped. Visit https://michianapets.org/resources/microchipping/ for more information.

The City of Valparaiso has equipped City Council Chambers with hearing assistance devices to aid people in hearing meetings held at Valparaiso City Hall. “We want to make city government accessible and helping people to hear better at our meetings is just one more way to assist,” said Mayor Jon Costas. The newly added technology is a wireless hearing aid device that connects to the City’s audio system and provides amplified sound during public meetings. To access a hearing assistance device, simply ask an official at the meeting for a headset and a portable receiver. Valparaiso’s public meetings may also

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Lubeznik Center for the Arts (LCA) has received a grant for $20,000 from the Health Foundation of La Porte to enhance the La Porte, Ind. community by facilitating a mural. Through the collaborative process, the goal of the project is to foster a sense of shared ownership and pride in the community. There is much evidence that murals with public input contribute to the economic and the physical health of a community. These compelling reasons are why LCA is spearheading this project. The mural will be located on the south wall of the La Porte County Library (LPCPL) Exchange building