Local News

Local area older adults, retirees and caregivers are invited to learn about resources and opportunities available to them at an expo next month, according to Assistant Director of the La Porte Park and Recreation Department Susie Wireman. The La Porte Activity Center for Older Adults, in partnership with the Healthcare Foundation of La Porte, will be hosting its first-ever expo for older adults and caregivers from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Healthcare Foundation. Wireman said the theme for the event, Passport to Lifestyle & Health, is a reflection of the world of opportunities that exist

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. – Franciscan Health’s Prenatal Assistance Program this month hosted an evening with Indiana Department of Health Commissioner Lindsay Weaver, MD, and Franciscan medical staff focused on maternal/fetal health. During the event at Innsbrook Country Club in Merrillville, Weaver said Indiana’s infant mortality rate is 6.7 deaths per 1,000 live births, which is higher than the national average of 5.4. Weaver acknowledged Indiana’s data on infant mortality is sobering, but said her goal is to use comprehensive data at the county and state level to identify where help is needed most. “You can’t make a difference unless you know

The Portage Police Department says they received a few calls from residents Monday asking if the Portage Police Department was conducting a telephone solicitation campaign. “PPD is not calling citizens to solicit donations,” the department said on its Facebook page. “Please do not give your credit card or banking information to anyone claiming to be from or associated with PPD over the telephone.”

The South Shore Line says they will resume train service between Carroll Avenue Station and Dune Park Station on Wednesday, Oct. 25. Beginning that day, their buses will shift to run between Dune Park Station to Gary Metro Station until project completion in May 2024. In May 2024, they will begin their new schedule including 14 new scheduled trains each weekday.  

News release by Michigan City Area Schools: Michigan City Area Schools is pleased to announce the launch of a new Teacher and Employee of the Year recognition program. This initiative will celebrate outstanding educators and staff members who have demonstrated exceptional dedication, innovation, and commitment to students. The Teacher and Employee of the Year program will honor individuals who have gone above and beyond, making a positive impact on students, colleagues, and the community. Recipients will include an: Elementary Teacher of the Year Secondary Teacher of the Year Support Staff Employee of the Year Transportation Employee of the Year Food

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a major partner from Indiana in an alliance awarded up to $1 billion in funding to develop a regional clean hydrogen production and distribution hub in the Midwest, as announced by President Biden on Oct. 13. PNW, through its Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS), will be integrally involved in the research and workforce development to create sources of clean hydrogen production that will reduce emissions from industrial sectors, including the region’s steel mills, refineries and power plants. The Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen, or MachH2, hub is one of seven selected by the U.S.

The City of Portage says work on Portage Avenue has been delayed due to the forecasted rain. The city provided the a summary of what to expect in the next two weeks: "The widened area of Portage Avenue between Pennsylvania and east of Kennedy will receive the intermediate layer of asphalt early to mid-week of Oct. 15. Later in the week, Milestone Contractors will start the milling process.  They will spend about two days milling Willowcreek Road between the CSX railroad tracks and the new surface next to Quality Inn & Suites and Portage Avenue between Willowcreek Road and Crisman

Press release by Duneland Chamber of Commerce: Chesterton, IN – The Duneland Chamber of Commerce will host an Anniversary Party and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for The Waxi Taxi on Tuesday, October 24 from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm. The Waxi Taxi is located at 206 S. Calumet Road. We are thrilled to invite the public invited to The Waxi Taxi's 13th anniversary party and ribbon-cutting. Please join us in celebrating their new location, expansion, the addition of valuable staff members, and the remarkable milestone of their owner, Jeny Burkhart, marking her 30th year in the business! Your presence will make

Press release by Healthcare Foundation of La Porte: On the morning of Thursday, October 12, 2023, Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) and the HFL Partners for Healthier Babies Council welcomed La Porte County partners working to reduce infant mortality for an October Safe Sleep Celebration and Commemoration. The event was designed to celebrate accomplishments in improving the infant mortality rate in La Porte County, including the one-year anniversary of the La Porte County Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) team, and connect local partners working to continue to improve services throughout the county.   Hosted at the HFL Conference & Learning Center, the October Safe

News release by Purdue University Northwest: HAMMOND, Ind. — Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS) along with industrial, education, federal and elected leaders gathered Oct. 11 to recognize a significant grant of nearly $10 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office to support decarbonization research, development and demonstration in the steel industry. As part of a sweeping federal initiative to reduce carbon emissions and progress toward net-zero emissions by 2050, the DOE awarded $9.96 million to a CIVS project pioneering an industry-scale demonstration of a hydrogen-fired continuous reheating

Franciscan Health Michigan City is hosting a free Trunk or Treat event Friday, Oct. 27. The event is scheduled to take place rain or shine from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Central at the Michigan City Legacy Campus, 301 Homer St. in Michigan City. Entertainment will be provided by DJ Jammin’ D and participating children will receive a glow stick while supplies last. Food trucks will also be available for attendees interested in making purchases. For more information, call Franciscan Health Michigan City Volunteer Coordinator Audrey Goress at (219) 877-1421.

The City of La Porte informed residents on its Facebook page that the first ever large/heavy trash pick-up with WM will take place next week. The clean up will run Oct. 16-20 and will take place on your regular trash day. The City of La Porte stated the following: Different from our previous Fall and Spring Clean Ups, the Large/Heavy Trash Pick-Ups will take place once annually and include some different guidelines that residents should be aware of: - The clean up is for residential customers only; - All loose items must be placed in bags or cans - piles

A three car collision closed U.S. 20 at Oak Hill Road for about 40 minutes Wednesday afternoon, according to the Town of Porter Police Department Facebook page. Just after 3:20 p.m., Porter Police and Fire responded to the scene and located three adult patients with minor to moderate injuries. Two patients were transported by EMS for additional care. The initial investigation indicates an eastbound minivan rear-ended an eastbound SUV that was waiting to turn onto Oak Hill Road from U.S. 20. The impact caused the SUV to be pushed into the opposite lane of traffic and strike a westbound passenger

The annual Boo Bash Halloween Event returns to Hawthorne Park on Friday, Oct. 20 from 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. This family-friendly event features a Trunk-or-Treat, games, a donut decorating table sponsored by Family Express Corp. and a costume contest. Costume contest prizes will be awarded to the top costumes in the following divisions: ages 0-5, ages 6-10, ages 11-15, and 16+. Costume contest will be judged at 5:30 p.m. The Westchester Public Library will also be hosting an outdoor presentation of Disney-Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.”, which will begin at 6:30pm the same night at Hawthorne Park. In the event of

Press release by Northern Indiana Public Service Company (Oct. 11, 2023): MERRILLVILLE, Ind. – NIPSCO announced today that natural gas residential customers can expect a decline in their winter heating bills this season compared to previous years. Based on current market projections and assuming normal winter weather, bills for natural gas residential customers are estimated to be 24 percent lower in contrast to cost at this same period in 2022, and 11 percent lower compared to the same period in 2021. Each year, NIPSCO and other Indiana energy companies provide a forecast for home heating bills during the upcoming winter

Franciscan Health is offering prediabetic patients the opportunity to help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes with its year-long Diabetes Prevention Program. Franciscan Health’s 12-month virtual Diabetes Prevention Program follows guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that have proven to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S., impacting more than 37 million American adults. Few realize type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed with lifestyle changes, like those implemented through the Franciscan Health Diabetes Prevention Program. Throughout the course of the program,

The South Shore Line announces the continuation of its “Buy 1 Get 1 Free” promotion, applicable for November monthly tickets. All monthly tickets purchased for the month of November 2023 will remain valid for December 2023. Passengers purchasing a paper November monthly ticket should plan to keep that ticket and use it through December, and passengers purchasing a digital November monthly ticket via the mobile app will see a December ticket uploaded to their accounts prior to Dec. 1. For passengers who receive tickets through an employer benefit program such as Wage Works or Commuter Benefit Solutions, these passengers should

Press release by City of Valparaiso: As the City of Valparaiso adds housing and parking in The Linc and Lincoln Highway Garage projects, city leaders are also working to preserve history. “We’ve been very careful to ensure the new facilities match the historic charm of our downtown and we’re preserving each bit of history we can, down to the bricks on the street,” said Mayor Matt Murphy. Bricks from historic Valparaiso Street are being painstakingly removed so they can be restored and reinstalled at the conclusion to the project. “The community will benefit from better drainage and better environmental stewardship

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. — An Illinois man died on Monday after he rear-ended a semi on I-80/94 westbound lanes at the 12.8 mile marker, according to Indiana State Police. The crash occurred at 1:45 p.m. and police say it happened minutes after a trooper had performed a traffic stop on the same vehicle, a 2012 Kia Optima, just east of the Lake Station exit ramp. The vehicle fled the scene of the traffic stop as the trooper was walking up to speak with the driver.  The trooper returned to his police car and was going to initiate a pursuit. However,

News release by Purdue University Northwest: Purdue University Northwest (PNW) will host influential clinician, researcher and scholar Dr. Bruce Perry for a two-day visit to share his insights on trauma and resilience with campus and public audiences. For over 30 years, Perry has conducted research and provided training and consultation on children’s mental health and the neuroscience of trauma. His career has focused on the impact of abuse, neglect and adverse childhood experiences on the developing brain which, in turn, has greatly influenced clinical practice, programs and policy across the world. His work has been instrumental in describing how childhood