Local News

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office announced on Friday that within the past 30 days, Detectives Alex Pishkur and Derrick Deck, of our Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, have investigated cases resulting in the arrests of two individuals accused of offenses involving crimes against children. 20-year-old Drew J.Pratt, of La Porte, was arrested July 27 for 11 counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). 24-year-old Devin M. McCoy, of La Crosse, was arrested August 28 for five counts of Child Exploitation. “These types of investigations require countless hours of specialized investigative work, digital evidence examination, coordination,

The Valparaiso Police Department released a statement on an incident involving a squirt gun at the Valparaiso High School football game Friday: "During this evening’s football game, a brief but concerning incident occurred, which we wanted to share with our community. The safety and well-being of our students, staff, families, and visitors remain our highest priority. An elementary student brought a squirt gun into the stadium that was realistic looking in nature and began brandishing it among spectators. A vigilant parent observed these actions, notifying a nearby Valparaiso Police officer who immediately responded and removed the item from the student.

The Town of Chesterton shared the following statement on their Facebook page Thursday regarding a Porter County Sheriff’s Police officer being disciplined for "violating the department’s policy regarding the use of Flock Safety license plate readers." A Porter County Sheriff’s Police officer has been disciplined for violating the department’s policy regarding the use of Flock Safety license plate readers (LPRs), Sheriff Jeff Balon is reporting. “The Porter County Sheriff’s Office does not normally comment on investigations involving internal affairs matters,” Balon said in a statement released today, Thursday, Aug. 27. “However, in light of the national focus on the issues

The Portage, Valparaiso, and Boone Grove compost sites have all re-opened today, Friday, Aug. 28, and are resuming their normal business hours, according to the Town of Chesterton Facebook page. The Town of Chesterton released the following information: *VALPARAISO, 2150 W. Lincolnway. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. *PORTAGE, 6451 U.S. 12. Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. *BOONE GROVE, 546S 400W. Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. "IDENTIFICATION WILL NOW BE CHECKED AND LOGGED Going forward, we will be checking ID and documenting the names and addresses of those who

News Release, Indiana Department of Homeland Security: INDIANAPOLIS -- Beginning Friday, Aug. 28, Indiana disaster survivors will be able to meet directly with state, county and FEMA teams at multiple Mobile Registration Intake Centers (MRICs). Representatives at these centers will provide in-person assistance, answer questions and help homeowners and renters apply for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program. Survivors should file an insurance claim first. Individuals with homeowners, renters or flood insurance should file a claim before applying for FEMA assistance. FEMA does not duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If a policy does not cover all disaster-related expenses, survivors may

Today Sunny, with a high near 77.   Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.   Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.   Saturday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66.   Sunday A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82

On Wednesday, August 26th, a jury spent many hours deciding the fate of Breon Ware. Mr. Ware was originally scheduled for trial earlier in August, but the trial was delayed due to the August Derecho. With the loss of power and issues around the Region, the trial was continued until Monday, August 24th. Over a three day trial, the jury heard evidence from the State and Defendant, regarding Murder charges, aggravated battery, and unlawful possession of a firearm.   Mr. Ware was charged with the September 2025 murder of Aaron Stingley of Laporte. The jury, hearing the evidence, delivered a

JOIN RIC FEDERIGHI AND TEAM WIMS ALL WEEKEND LONG! One of Michigan City’s most beloved traditions returns Labor Day Weekend, September 4–7th, 2026, at Washington Park. Oktoberfest is the City’s most requested annual event, bringing together residents and visitors for four days of great food, live music, and community celebration. The festival features multiple live music stages with dozens of performances, along with local and regional food vendors and a wide variety of art, craft, and merchandise vendors from across the region. Families and friends can enjoy a festive atmosphere, delicious eats, and lively entertainment, all while celebrating the end

As Northwest Indiana continues to recover following recent severe storms, Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC (NIPSCO) and the NiSource Charitable Foundation are expanding support for customers and communities through a combination of customer protections, financial assistance resources and a $2 million contribution to recovery efforts. The funding will be administered through Legacy Foundation, Porter County Community Foundation and Unity Foundation, which will work with local nonprofit organizations to address ongoing community needs. "The work of recovery doesn't end when power is restored," said Melody Birmingham, executive vice president and group president of NiSource utilities. "Across Northwest Indiana, local organizations

LA PORTE COUNTY, Ind. — Commissioner Joe Haney today announced that the cleanup of the Glycerin Traders site has concluded.   "I'm pleased to announce that clean up of the Glycerin Traders site, located in unincorporated La Porte County's Stillwell area has successfully concluded." Haney continued, "I completed the final walk through of the site last week, along with Building Commissioner Polan and EPA's Region 5 coordinator Allen Jarrell."   The cleanup was extensive, spanning from mid-2025 through the end of July 2026, and involved federal, state, and county agencies.   "When I called for an investigation into the Glycerin

Today A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 77.   Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 64.   Friday Sunny, with a high near 76.   Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 61.   Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 77.

Washington, DC – Rep. Frank J. Mrvan released the statement below following the approval from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the State of Indiana’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration from the storms of August 11, 2026. “FEMA has announced that the Major Disaster Declaration requested by Governor Braun for the State of Indiana has been approved. “This declaration is an important step forward for Northwest Indiana. Our families, businesses, municipalities, first responders, and community organizations have endured tremendous hardship, and they need every available resource to recover and rebuild. “I thank Governor Braun, our local officials, emergency management

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Franciscan Health is teaming up with Michigan City Elston YMCA to offer a free Cooking Matters class. Participants are invited to prepare and taste a new recipe. The class will highlight healthy food swaps, tips for budget-friendly grocery shopping, proper cooking techniques, general nutrition tips and more. The class is scheduled to take place from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Central on Thursday, Sept. 24 at the Michigan City Elston YMCA, 1201 Spring St. in Michigan City. Participants should enter through Door L. The class is free, but space is limited and registration is required by

The City of Portage and the American Red Cross will be holding a blood drive on Friday, August 28th, 9am-3pm inside the Portage City Hall Council Chambers. See the flyer for scheduling options and more details.

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — The City of Michigan City will host its second annual community Overdose Awareness event Sunday, Aug. 30, at the Helping Our People Excel (HOPE) Community Center, 222 McClelland Ave. This year’s expanded event will bring together residents, families, recovery advocates, first responders and community organizations for an afternoon centered on remembrance, education, prevention and hope. The event will begin with a short community awareness walk from the HOPE Center to Pullman Park and back. Participants are asked to arrive at the HOPE Center by 2:30 p.m., with the walk beginning at 3 p.m. Following the walk,

Tim Curry, who soared to fame in the ‘70s as the flamboyant star of the campy horror movie stage spoof “The Rocky Horror Show” and its screen version “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” died on Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 80. Curry’s longtime manager, Marcia Hurwitz, confirmed to Variety that Curry died peacefully at his Toluca Lake home. A cause was not immediately available, though Curry had suffered from several health issues since having a severe stroke in 2012. At the height of the “Rocky Horror” boom of the late ‘70s, Curry joined A&M Records’ roster, cutting three rock

Mayor of Michigan City Angie Nelson Deuitch issued a statement on the Michigan City Facebook page on Tuesday regarding LaPorte County being added to the list for SNAP recipients impacted by the recent severe weather: "I am pleased to share that LaPorte County has been added to the list for SNAP recipients impacted by the recent severe weather to request emergency replacement benefits. Residents affected by recent severe storms and power outages have an extended deadline through August 31, 2026, to request replacement SNAP benefits for spoiled food. Households that receive SNAP benefits will need to submit an affidavit detailing

Today A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.   Tonight A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am, then a slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 40%.   Thursday Sunny, with a high near 77.   Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 64.   Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 78

News Release from Aug. 25, 2026 by Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC (NIPSCO): Merrillville, Ind. – As of 5 p.m., Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC (NIPSCO) has restored power to 99% of customers in northern Indiana. Remaining outages may include a limited number of customers with damage to privately owned equipment, as well as routine outages unrelated to the storm. The company is working directly with those customers to support safe reconnection. "Being without power for days is difficult. Being without power for more than a week is extremely challenging, and we understand the burden that puts on

The Town of Chesterton announced that the Valparaiso and Portage compost sites will stop accepting storm debris beginning today Wednesday Aug 26. The Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County (RWRD) is announcing that the Valparaiso and Portage compost sites will temporarily stop accepting storm debris beginning today, Wednesday, Aug. 26. “Our compost sites are NEAR CAPACITY and cannot accept additional storm debris at this moment,” RWRD said. “To relieve that pressure, Porter County will be announcing additional drop-off sites as soon as possible where residents can bring storm-related vegetation.” PORTAGE COMPOST SITE The Portage compost site will be