Local News

On Wednesday, February 28, 2024, the La Porte Community School Corporation convened a special school board meeting to discuss data surrounding declining enrollment, future enrollment forecasts, and the financial impact on the district. Amid concerns over decreased numbers, district leadership sought expertise from McKibben Demographic Research, LLC to give them insight into what enrollment will likely look like over the next decade and beyond. Dr. Jerome McKibben, a leading demographer, presented their forecast to the school board members. His analysis provided a view of the demographic shifts affecting school enrollment, highlighting the need for proactive measures to align resources with

The State of Indiana is now accepting applications for Career Scholarship Account (CSA) programs and providers. The first-in-the-nation CSA program provides $5,000 annually for tenth- through twelfth-grade students enrolled in eligible work-based learning programs. “By partnering with our schools and investing in our future workforce, employers are helping to support students as they explore, engage and experience a variety of career options,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “Indiana’s CSA program provides an incredible opportunity to help students overcome barriers, and ultimately, increase access to quality work-based learning experiences across the state, as well as credentials of value

Press release, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Midwest: In an effort to help homeless Veterans and their families find permanent housing, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awarded $14 million in HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers to 66 Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) across the country for over 1,400 vouchers. The City of Evansville Housing Authority was awarded $143,255. Please see the full list of awardees here. “HUD is committed to ending Veteran homelessness once and for all,” said Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “These HUD-VASH voucher awards

Michigan City Area Schools is seeking nominations for the 2024 Michigan City Area Schools Wall of Fame.This annual award, first presented in 1976, honors former school employees who have made outstanding contributions to the children of the Michigan City Area Schools. Employees from every area are eligible: administrators, custodians, food service personnel, instructional assistants, maintenance personnel, paraprofessionals, teachers, transportation staff, and secretarial staff. To qualify for nomination, the candidate must have been employed by the Michigan City Area Schools for a minimum of 15 years. Special circumstances may be considered for those not meeting the 15-year requirement due to hardship

A La Porte man was arrested after calling police on himself for allegedly beating another man with a baseball bat, according to the La Porte County Sheirff's Office. On Feb. 25 at 5:04 a.m., a deputy was dispatched to a residence located in the 7700 south block of U.S. 35 reference a disturbance / battery that had just occurred. The reporting person, 35-year-old Matthew I. Castaneda of La Porte, stated he had battered the homeowner with a baseball bat. Upon the deputy's arrival Castaneda was taken into custody. The victim was located inside the residence with upper body injuries. In

Beginning April 1, 2024, La Porte County residents can apply to the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List at: https://www.waitlistcheck.com/IN1806-2494 The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List is also open for Lake, Porter, Jasper, Newton, Pulaski, and Starke County residents. Northwest Indiana Community Action (NWICA) administers the Section 8 HCV program on behalf of the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Section 8 HCV program is available to income eligible individuals and families and exists to assist with rent payments to provide decent, affordable, sanitary, and

Press release, Franciscan Health: Franciscan Health Family Birth Center Dyer nurse Cynthia Ippolito has helped deliver more babies than she can count, but one baby born this Valentine’s Day is a little girl she won’t soon forget. Ippolito assisted in the birth of Fletcher Lainey Voss on Feb. 14, 2024. Fletcher is the daughter of Tara and Matthew Voss of Crown Point. Ippolito also assisted in Matthew’s birth in June 1995 at Franciscan Health Dyer. Matthew’s mother, Kristen Voss, is also a nurse in the Franciscan Health Family Birth Center Dyer. Matthew and Tara said they were both thankful for

The Food Bank of Northern Indiana will host a mobile food distribution today from 10 am - noon  at the Hope Center located at 3901 N. 675 W. in Michigan City. This is a drive through distribution. This is first come first serve for up to 300 households. See the flyer for more details.

The Salvation Army of Michigan City is asking the public to consider making a donation of non-perishable food during their Love Beyond Hunger Food Drive. To make a donation pull up to their back door (off the alley behind their building) to make a donation on Saturday, March 16 between 9 a.m. and noon. The Salvation Army says their primary needs right now are peanut butter and jelly, canned meat, hearty soups, and canned pasta sauce.  

In Marshall County, an Indiana Department of Transportation contractor will have traffic delays on U.S. 31 next week to set beams for the new bridge over Elkhart Western Railroad between 13th Road and 14th Road. Delays will begin on Monday March 4 when cranes are moved in and set up in the work zone. This will require six semi loads, which will cause delays of up to 10 to 15 minutes at a time. On Wednesday, March 6, traffic will be stopped for up to 30 minutes at a time while six beams are set. This work will begin after

The Michigan City Parks and Recreation Department announced the city-wide, department vs. department food drive challenge was a success with 1,448 pounds of food and other essential items collected, totaling more than 2,669 individual items. The Parks office was the winner, collecting 942 items, The Mayor's Office & Michigan City Special Events secured second place, while the Port Authority rounded out the top three. "Congratulations to all the participants!", the Michigan City Parks and Recreation Department said on their Facebook page. "This would not have been possible without the enthusiasm and generosity of each person who donated. City employees rock!!

The Indiana Department of Transportation and Metric Environmental will host a public hearing regarding a proposed U.S. 35/Indiana Ave pavement replacement and utility relocation project in LaPorte on Wednesday, March 6. The project is located on U.S. 35/Indiana Ave between State Road 2/Lincolnway and Crescent Dr. and traverses southeast across agricultural fields to Boyd Boulevard. The primary purpose of the project is to improve the overall pavement condition of U.S. 35, to update curbing and pedestrian facilities, and to modernize and improve capacity of water and stormwater facilities according to INDOT’s Storm Water Management Plan for the U.S. 35 corridor

NIPSCO announced in a news release Monday the deployment of upgraded electric meters through the installation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology. NIPCSO said after extensive planning and regulatory engagement, they are preparing to install meters for 3,000 electric residential customers in Highland, Ind. beginning in March 2024. This technology will be installed in phases to the remaining 490,000 electric residential and business customers throughout NIPSCO’s service area over the next three years. “Advanced Metering Infrastructure is a proven technology, designed to improve safety, promote reliability, and enable system modernization,” said Ron Talbot, NIPSCO Senior Vice President, Electric Operations. “It

Center for Creative Solutions Calls for Student Innovators Student innovators and entrepreneurs, the Center for Creative Solutions wants you! For the seventh year, area students will be honored for their innovative products and projects during World Creativity & Innovation Week, April 15-21, 2024. The honors will go to K-12 students working alone or in teams. Their project, product or process must demonstrate a reasonable level of creativity and/or innovation, noted Pat Lain, the Center’s Board President. It may be in any area of interest, such as technology, the arts, trades/professions, writing, science, business, cooking, designing, to name a few. “The

Press release, Northern Indiana Public Service Company: For the ninth consecutive year, NIPSCO is accepting applications for its Environmental Action Grant to support local nonprofit organizations with their environmental restoration and education projects throughout northern Indiana. “NIPSCO employees are dedicated to contributing to the communities we serve, and we look forward to launching this grant program every year,” said Rick Calinski, NIPSCO Director of Public Affairs and Economic Development. “We are proud to support local organizations who are focused on improving our environment and providing educational opportunities surrounding this important topic.” Since 2016, NIPSCO’s Environmental Action Grant helped 124 projects

Today, the Michigan City Police Department Family sends our deepest condolences to the family of retired Captain Thomas Howe. Captain Howe was employed with the Michigan City Police Department for 32 years and served this community with dedication, integrity and professionalism. The MCPD Family is thankful for the service of Captain Howe and mourn his loss as we keep his family in our prayers. Rest in peace Captain Thomas Howe!! The funeral services will be on Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 at Ott/Haverstock Funeral Chapel, located at 418 Washington Street, Michigan City, IN 46360. The visitation will be from 10:00 am

The National Park Service is planning to conduct 5 prescribed fires this spring. Approximately 1,280 acres are planned to be burned as part of the park’s natural resources and fuels management programs. In Gary’s Miller Neighborhood, the park will burn 16 acres of land immediately surrounding the Douglas Center for Environmental Education on North Lake Street. The purpose of this burn is to reduce the threat of wildfire to the education center by creating defensible space around the structure. Immediately west of the Douglas Center, another 211 acres of wooded dune and swale are planned to be burned. Also in

The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) has confirmed a case of measles in a Lake County resident. The department says the risk to the public is low, but IDOH continues to investigate the case along with local public health officials. No other information about the case will be released to protect patient privacy. This is the first case in Indiana since 2019. “Measles is easily spread and can be serious, especially for young children. About one in five unvaccinated people in the United States who get measles is hospitalized, and 90 percent of unvaccinated people who are exposed to measles

Indiana Conservation Officer Alex Toth, who serves LaPorte County, has been selected as the 2023 District 10 Officer of the Year. Toth has served as a conservation officer since 2017. In addition to his normal duties as a field officer, he also serves as a scuba diver, use of force instructor, firearms instructor, field training officer, and passenger for hire inspector. District 10 includes Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Starke, and Pulaski counties in northwest Indiana. The district award puts Toth in the running for the Pitzer Award, which is given to the top overall conservation officer in the state

The Valparaiso Police Department announced the addition of six Emergency Medical Responders (EMRs) to the EMR Program within the department. Valparaiso Police Officers John Cordova, Jacob Schleyer, Craig Lundy, Doug Balon, and James Bilder, along with Valparaiso Police Social Worker Natalie Kasberger, successfully completed the three-week course taught by the Valparaiso Fire Department. The EMR Program originated in 2020 at the Valparaiso Police Department and has resulted in a total of twenty-two officers becoming certified EMRs. Each officer is equipped with an advanced medical kit, to assist with critical medical emergencies prior to the arrival of an ambulance. “The Valparaiso