Local News

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning on Monday announced the Employer-Sponsored Child Care Fund, part of Gov. Eric J. Holcomb’s 2023 Next Level Agenda, to mobilize employers and communities to create or expand child care offerings that address the needs of working Hoosiers. “Employers know first-hand the critical needs of their employees, and are best positioned to partner in their communities to create child care solutions that will help build and retain their workforce,” Gov. Holcomb said. “This targeted grant program will boost Indiana’s economy and most importantly empower the state’s youngest

With the Halloween season upon us, the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office urges parents to use online tools to know the identity of registered sex offenders in the area where they plan to trick-or-treat. An online sex offender registry is available for residents of La Porte County, allowing parents to conduct a search before trick-or-treating to prevent their children from visiting the home of a registered sex offender during door-to-door trick-or-treating. There are currently about 206 registered sex offenders residing in La Porte County. According to the United States Department of Justice, 80% of all addresses have at least one

A 24-year-old woman has been charged after she fired a handgun into the ground which then fragmented and ricocheted into another woman’s face, according to Michigan City Police. Last Wednesday, an officer was at 7th and Franklin Street when he heard a gunshot being fired in the area. Moments later, the Raven Gunshot Detection system confirmed the gunshot and determined it came from the 200 block of East 7th Street. The officer proceeded to the location and was assisted by other officers. Witnesses were located and police learned the gunshot was fired from in front of the 200 block of

The Salvation Army's annual coat drive, collecting new and gently used coats is ongoing through the month of October. The Salvation Army says these will be distributed to clients through their free clothing closet this winter. Consider donating at one of these locations: Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa, FOP Dunes Lodge #75 - Michigan City, or Saint Joseph Young Men's Society. Coats can also be donated directly at The Salvation Army, 1201 S. Franklin St., Michigan City.

This past Thursday, Rep. Frank J. Mrvan announced a federal grant award for the Hobart Police Department under the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act program. According to the Department of Justice, the Hobart Police Department will receive $200,000 to improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement through the implementation of peer support, training, family resources, suicide prevention, and other promising practices for wellness programs. Congressman Mrvan stated, “Congratulations to the Hobart Police Department for successfully securing this federal funding to

The Town of Chesterton announced early voting information for the Chesterton, Portage and Valparaiso area. The following is early voting information from the Town of Chesterton Facebook page:   Early voting in the municipal election will begin on Monday, Oct. 23. days and times: *8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. *11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. *8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturdays. *Early voting will END at 12 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6. *Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7.   Early Voting Locations: *Chesterton Town Hall, 726 Broadway. *North County Complex, 3560 Willowcreek Road, New Building,

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - An Indiana Department of Transportation contractor will move to the final phase of concrete restoration work on I-94 eastbound between State Road 912/Cline Avenue and I-65 on or after Wednesday, Oct. 25. There will be overnight lane closures on eastbound I-94 from around 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25 to 5 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 to move eastbound traffic to it's normal configuration, with all lanes of traffic to the right and the work zone to the left. Westbound traffic will remain unchanged. Work will occur in the median during the final phase. Temporary overnight ramp

A Coolspring Township man has been charged with murder following the death of a Michigan City man, according to Michigan City police. At 8:37 p.m. on Thursday, deputies were dispatched to a residence located in the 8600 west block of County Road 400 North in reference to a battery. While responding, deputies were advised someone had possibly been struck by a vehicle. An officer located a man identified as 25-year-old Travis S. Clemons of Michigan City, lying motionless near a vehicle. While personnel were rendering aid to Clemons, they discovered a gunshot wound to his torso. Emergency medical personnel arrived

Three people were transported to hospital on Wednesday morning, Oct. 18, following a three-vehicle chain-reaction accident on southbound Ind. 49, the Town of Chesterton said on their Facebook page. According to the Chesterton Police Department, at 10:20 a.m. a 71-year-old Michigan City resident was southbound on Ind. 49 when, while approaching the intersection of 1100N, she apparently “looked away” from the road for a moment and “was unable to slow down or stop before crashing into the rear end” of a second vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle, a 72-year-old Lake Station resident—who was stopped at the intersection for

The Indiana DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife announced that their online deer data is now up to date with information from the 2022-23 harvest season, as well as the latest After Hunt Survey and Annual Deer Survey. The division says this is the same data that the deer biologists, district biologists, Division of Fish & Wildlife, and DNR Law Enforcement administrators use to make recommendations for the next season’s regulations. It includes harvest data, population trends, deer-vehicle collisions, deer damage permits, public opinion on deer management, and other useful information at the county and statewide levels. You can find

Gov. Eric J. Holcomb joined the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today to break ground on the Lodge at Potato Creek, the first state park lodge in Indiana built since 1939. “There’s a reason why Indiana’s state park inns have the highest occupancy rate in the nation and continue to earn such high national rankings,” said Gov. Holcomb. “People come here from across the country and around the world because of the unparalleled experience and hospitality extended at our state park inns. Whether you’re out hiking a trail or sitting by the fire, our state parks offer an opportunity

Press release by Michigan City Chamber of Commerce: The Michigan City Chamber of Commerce (chamber) announced Johnny Roder as the Ambassador of the Quarter for the Third Quarter of 2023. “It’s an honor to be named ambassador of the quarter! Being able to volunteer in the community and network with business owners in Michigan City and Northwest Indiana has been amazing,” stated Roder. “It goes without saying that working with the other ambassadors is something I do not take for granted. Everyone has the same mindset of being a helping hand to the community and connecting individuals to the right

Franciscan Health Munster earlier this month dedicated and blessed a new mosaic depicting St. Francis during a ceremony at the hospital. The mosaic was commissioned by husband and wife Pete Nau Sr. and Debbie Nau, in memory of Pete’s parents, Mike and Patricia Nau. Mike Nau served on the St. Margaret’s Citizen’s Board of Directors and owned Hammond Machine Works. His family, who continues to run the business, wanted to honor and continue his philanthropic spirit with the commissioning of the artwork. The mosaic is the work of Chicago-based artist David Lee Csisko, a Hammond native. Csisko worked with husband

The National Park Service is planning to conduct five prescribed fires this fall of areas totaling more than 1,400 acres in Indiana Dunes National Park, according to a Facebook post from the Town of Chesterton. One of the burns is a carryover from last year, when unfavorable weather conditions precluded its completion. A list of the five burns is below: Tolleston East Prescribed Fire: 550 acres—the largest burn on the schedule—located immediately south and east of Ogden Dunes, with U.S. 12 to the north, County Line Road to the west, and Stagecoach Road to the south and east. Grand Blvd./Marquette

Press release by Michigan City Area Schools: MICHIGAN CITY, IN – October 18, 2023 — The LaPorte County Career and Technical Education program hosted its annual N.E.W. Opportunities workshop on October 17, inviting middle school girls from seven LaPorte County middle schools to visit the A. K. Smith Career Center to check out career options that may not be on their radar. The N.E.W. (Nontraditional Employment Workshop) Opportunities event introduced eighth-grade girls to a variety of jobs in which women have been traditionally under-represented – in fields such as law enforcement, construction, dentistry, architecture, HVAC, welding, finance, and more. The

Throughout September, NIPSCO employees participated in various volunteering events throughout northern Indiana to make a difference through the company’s 13th annual Charity of Choice campaign. Charity of Choice is NIPSCO's employee-driven, company-wide effort to provide a significant contribution of volunteer efforts to benefit a variety of community causes across NIPSCO’s service area. Similar to last year’s Charity of Choice, employees were able to choose from a number of volunteer opportunities throughout the month of September to get out with fellow NIPSCO team members and combine efforts, providing support to those in need throughout our communities. In partnership with the NiSource

Press release by Helathcare Foundation of La Porte: Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) recently awarded two grants to meet the community need for car seats. Ranging from infant-size car seats to five-point harness combo seats, the car seats are now available for free for those in need. Two local partners, the La Porte County Health Department and the City of La Porte Fire Department, received a total of 118 car seats between them to distribute as needed. HFL funded nearly $10,000 to these two entities to purchase the car seats from Evenflo.   With the funding from HFL, La Porte County

Press release by Salvation Army of Michigan City: The Salvation Army of Michigan City is pleased to announce that Gene and Linda Simmons will serve as 2023 Christmas Campaign Chairs during the upcoming holiday season. Gene Simmons currently represents the 6th Ward on the Michigan City Common Council and Linda Simmons serves as Marketing Director for the La Porte County Tourism Bureau. Gene is a Viet-Nam veteran who served in the U.S. Army. Immediately after returning home from service, Gene joined the Michigan City Police Department, where he served as Chief of Police before retiring. Linda started a career with

Porter County Sheriff Jeffery Balon released a statement Tuesday about Trick or Treat throughout the county along with increased patrols by officers. The statement is below: Porter County Residents, In a coordinated effort, most of the communities throughout Porter County are observing Halloween Trick or Treat on Tuesday, October 31st from 5:30pm-7:30pm. In an effort to keep the children and their chaperones safe during this time, there will be several Sheriff’s Officers, along with me and my administration conducting extra patrols in the neighborhoods and communities throughout unincorporated Porter County. I ask everyone who is reading this message to please

The Michigan City Police Department on Tuesday released a statement on their Facebook page regarding the investigation into the deadly hit-and-run of Tara Stevens, which occurred in September of 2020. The department released the following statement: “The Michigan City Police Department Administration, Investigators and LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office met with members of Tara Stevens’ family this past Thursday, October 12th. The purpose of the meeting was to provide updates, answer questions and dispel the fallacious narrative/conclusions about this case that are circulating on social media. We would like to extend an offer to meet with any other members of Tara’s