Local News

Indiana Department of Homeland Security teams will be in Porter County on Monday, July 22 to survey damage and most likely remain until Wednesday, July 24, according to Porter County Emergency Management. The Porter County Emergency Management Agency has requested the Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s (IDHS) assistance in conducting damage assessments of properties throughout Porter County, resulting from the storm on July 15. IDHS teams will be in Porter County Personnel will be wearing IDHS clothing and also carry government credentials to identify themselves. Collecting assessment data using this process will help IDHS and Porter County determine if thresholds

Press release, Duneland Chamber of Commerce: Chesterton, IN: The Duneland Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Community Awards Luncheon on July 17th at the Spa Special Event Center, celebrating the achievements and contributions of outstanding individuals and organizations within the community. This year’s event saw the highest number of attendees to date, reflecting the growing enthusiasm and support for recognizing local excellence. Joseph S. Pete was honored with the Putting Duneland on the Map Award. Wise Guys Liquors and Ruff Luxury Inn at the Dunes received recognition for New Construction, while the Duneland School Corporation earned the Business Renovation Award.

The Tobacco Education and Prevention Coalition for Porter County (TEPC) recently held a volunteer appreciation event for members and community partners engaging in efforts to promote smoke free air and to minimize smoking and vaping, as well as their related-illnesses, in Porter County. “Our volunteers are out of this world” was the theme to this year’s event that honored coalition members and organization partners for their dedicated support and participation,” said Carrie Higgins, Program Director for the Tobacco Education and Prevention Coalition. Captain Joe Hall of the Valparaiso Police Department and Chair of the coalition served as Emcee and presented

News release, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development: (Flyer below is a scam ad) Fraudulent Section 8 assistance advertisements like the one above are appearing on social media sites in increasing numbers. They are also appearing through posted flyers using official agency logos. These sites and flyers direct members of the public to a fraudulent website, which harvests personal information and data. We are also learning that there have been recent reports of individuals posing as employees of Housing Authorities/ Agencies and have fraudulently obtained money from individuals seeking housing assistance.   What You Need to Know  A

If you're a La Porte resident and looking to get rid of some unwanted items, you have another opportunity this weekend thanks to the Dumpster Program. This Saturday, July 20 is another Dumpster Saturday. Swing by the Street Department from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to dispose of any large, unwanted items. The city says the dumpsters tend to fill up quickly, so arrive early and be prepared to show proof of residency in the City of La Porte.

LaPorte County has been added to the counties the Indiana Department of Homeland Security is accepting severe storm damage from Monday, July 15. Residents of LaPorte, Porter and Elkhart counties are asked to contact Indiana 211 by calling 866-211-9966 to report severe storm damage from Monday. To help establish a comprehensive assessment of damage, residents can call 866-211-9966 or visit the Indiana 211 website. Collecting assessments via this process will help IDHS determine damage estimates and develop the next course of action in the disaster recovery process. Currently, only residents in LaPorte, Porter and Elkhart counties should utilize Indiana 211

Press release, Indiana Department of Education: Indiana leaders on Wednesday outlined the ongoing, collaborative process to develop new diploma seals in response to stakeholder feedback, as well as continued partnership opportunities to ensure all students have access to rigorous courses and experiences. Under the current proposal, students could earn an individual readiness seal or combination of readiness seals to support their unique post-graduation goals of enrollment, employment or enlistment leading to service. The readiness seals would be reflected on a student's transcript to signify their preparedness for success in their unique path ahead. “High school is a time when we

Press release, Lubeznik Arts Festival: MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – The 42nd annual Lubeznik Arts Festival will bring over 78 artists from around the United States in a variety of media to Michigan City, Ind. on Saturday and Sunday, August 17 and 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT. The festival draws children and adults from the Northwest Indiana region, Southwest Michigan and beyond to Lubeznik Center for the Arts' (LCA) grounds and galleries at 101 W. 2nd Street. Festival-goers can enjoy fine arts and crafts from artists across the nation, indoor exhibits by contemporary artists, family activities, free art

HAMMOND, Ind. — Purdue University Northwest (PNW) will join the Chicago region’s Bloch Tech Hub, a coalition of industry, academic, government and nonprofit stakeholders led by the Chicago Quantum Exchange and its focus on driving the nation’s quantum economy, university officials announced Thursday (July 18, 2024). PNW Chancellor Kenneth C. Holford also revealed that the university is working with other members of the Bloch on a quantum commercialization center as part of the Roberts Impact Lab, a regional technology transfer and commercialization hub under development by PNW. The impact lab, which will be located at 5454 Hohman Ave. in Hammond, is

U.S. 12 in Porter County is now open between Hillcrest Road and Midwest Steel Highway. It was originally expected to be closed through Monday. Follow WIMS radio on Facebook or check back at wimsradio.com for more roadwork updates.

La Porte - The La Porte Community School Corporation (LPCSC) is excited to announce the Field House Strength and Conditioning Project, a significant initiative aimed at providing a modern, functional, and state-of-the-art athletic training space for student-athletes. This project responds to the findings of the 2020 Facility Study, which identified critical district needs, including upgrades to the aging field house. Initially constructed in 1998, the field house has experienced considerable wear and tear over the years due to its extensive use by various extracurricular groups, including physical education classes, winter guard, spring sports teams, strength and conditioning programs, gymnastics, and

Crown Point, IN – The Northwest Indiana Influential Women Association (NWIIWA) today announced the 226 finalists for the 13th annual Influential Women Awards, featuring women from many leading regional companies. During the awards banquet, two winners will be selected in 12 different industry categories: one Up and Coming Winner and one Influential Woman winner. Additionally, special awards will be given in other categories like Community Leader of the Year and Supporter of the Year. "On behalf of the NWIIWA board, I’m honored to announce the finalists for this year’s Influential Women Awards,” said Mary Wright, NWIIWA board chair. “These extraordinary

NIPSCO said in an update Thursday night that service to more than 90 percent of the estimated 110,000 homes and businesses affected by Monday evening's damaging storm event has been restored, as they continue to focus on every one of the 10,800 customers remaining without electric service from this original event. All available NIPSCO, contractor and mutual aid resources are continuing to work around-the-clock in support of this restoration effort. A list of estimated restoration times can be found on nipsco.com/outages. Kankakee Valley REMC’s website is now showing no outages. See kvremc.com for more information. As of Wednesday night I&M

The Michigan City Parks & Recreation Department announces that there will be a special events parking fee on Sunday, August 4, 2024 for the XInsurance Great Lakes Grand Prix. Cars and motorcycles without a Washington Park parking sticker will be charged $40 to park. All other vehicles WILL NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE PARK due to very limited parking; this includes trucks w/trailers, buses, and motorhomes. Regular parking fees will resume on Monday, August 5, 2024. For more information contact the Parks & Recreation Department at 219-873-1506 or online at www.emichigancity.com  

Most Grade Levels See Slight Increase in English/Language Arts Proficiency; Math Proficiency Slightly Decreases Following Significant Growth in Recent Years INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) today presented results from the spring 2024 administration of the Indiana Learning Evaluation and Readiness Network (ILEARN). Most grade levels had a slight increase in English/language arts (ELA) proficiency, while math proficiency slightly decreased following significant growth since the pandemic. “While many grades have seen increases in both ELA and math proficiency over the past three years, we must continue to keep our foot on the gas pedal to ensure all students

NIPSCO will close U.S. 12 between Hillcrest Road and Midwest Steel Highway for approximately 5 days starting on or after Monday, July 22 to perform utility work. INDOT says motorists should seek alternate routes. The official detour will follow State Road 249 and U.S. 20.

For the latest NIPSCO outage information check out www.nipsco.com and view the outage map. To check on the area services by KVREMC visit www.kvremc.com and visit the outage maps. For Indiana Michigan Power customers visit www.indianamichiganpower.com and view the outage maps as well.

The Porter County Sheriff’s Office says they have recently been receiving reports that citizens have been getting telephone calls in which people were fraudulently claiming to be law enforcement officials.  Sometimes callers can mask the caller ID information to make it appear as if the call is coming from a police department or other government entity. “If you receive a call from a person claiming to be one of our Officers and are concerned they are not who they say they are, please hang up and call 219-477-3170 to verify their identity,” the Porter County Sheriff’s Office said in a

Residents of Porter and Elkhart counties are asked to contact Indiana 211 by calling 866-211-9966 to report severe storm damage from July 15, 2024. To help establish a comprehensive assessment of damage, residents can call 866-211-9966 or visit the Indiana 211 website. Collecting assessments via this process will help IDHS determine damage estimates and develop the next course of action in the disaster recovery process. Currently, only residents in Porter and Elkhart counties should utilize Indiana 211 for July 15, 2024, damage reports. Other counties should reach out to their local emergency manager. Agricultural damage should be reported to the

Gary, IND. – On Monday, July 15, in a press conference within the Gary Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center, Congressman Frank Mrvan (IN-01) and Chief Derrick Cannon announced GPD will receive $264,000 in Community Project Funding. The funding will allow for the acquisition of stationery and mobile License Plate Reader (LPR) cameras. These LPR cameras will be used to continue the modernization of the Gary Police Department’s policing tactics and enhance public safety. Ellis Dumas, Chief of Staff for the Office of Mayor Eddie Melton, spoke on behalf of Mayor Melton, who was unable to attend the press conference.