Local News

Press Release, Office of Governor Eric J. Holcomb: Governor Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security today announced a $10 million state investment in new personal protective equipment (PPE). This new equipment will allow volunteer firefighters across Indiana to better serve their communities. Most Indiana communities are served by volunteer fire departments, and many operate on shoestring budgets and with dilapidated equipment. Some wear protective gear and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) that may be more than a decade old. Through Gov. Holcomb’s 2023 Next Level Agenda, $17.7 million was allocated to firefighters through PPE and new training facilities

Press Release, Duneland Chamber of Commerce: (Chesterton, IN) — The Duneland Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the keynote speaker and 2024 board members for its upcoming Annual Meeting, scheduled for April 24th from 4:30 to 6:30pm at the Spa Special Event Center. Keynote Speaker Vanessa Green Sinders, the first female President and CEO of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, will introduce herself and deliver the keynote address. Sinders brings a wealth of experience in business and economic development. New Board Members The Duneland Chamber's 2024 Board of Directors are as follows: Laura Zaranski, East Wind Acupuncture Bob Kollar,

Tristan Gaston has joined the Economic Development Corporation Michigan City team as Special Projects Coordinator. He is responsible for connecting community members to the correct resources and tools, addressing inquiries on EDCMC services and offerings, synchronizing all aspects of the office and its team members, bookkeeping and preparing of necessary marketing materials and presentations. “I enjoy my role simply because I am using my talents to help grow our community,” he said. “I look forward to helping create opportunities for others to flourish here in Michigan City.” EDCMC Executive Director Clarence Hulse said he is honored to have Gaston as

Press Release, The Salvation Army of Michigan City: Registration is now open for The Salvation Army’s annual free summer camp opportunities. Children ages 6 to 17 who reside in Michigan City are eligible to attend camp through The Salvation Army, including fivedifferent camps that will take place at Hidden Falls Camp in Bedford, IN. The experience will be a four- to six-dayovernight visit, depending on the camp. Teen Camp will be held June 10-14 for campers ages 13-17; Jr. Kids Camp, for children ages 6-8, will take place June 17-20; Kids Camp will be held June 24-28 for children ages

An INDOT will be conducting work at the U.S. 31/20 bypass and U.S. 31 interchange to wrap up their bridge contract which first began in 2022. Beginning on or after Monday, April 22, there will be alternating lanes closures on U.S. 31/Michigan Street from Jackson Road to just south of Ireland Road, and the ramps from westbound U.S. 20 to southbound U.S. 31 and eastbound U.S. 20 to northbound Michigan Street will be closed. These closures will be in place through late May for bridge painting. The outside shoulders of the U.S. 31/20 bypass bridge will also be closed in

Press Release, U.S. Marshal's Service: The United States Marshals Service (USMS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are alerting the public to several nationwide imposter scams involving individuals claiming to be representatives of the Marshals Service, court officers, or other law enforcement officials. The USMS is are urging people to report the calls to their local FBI office and file a consumer complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has the ability to detect patterns of fraud from the information collected and share that data with law enforcement. Scammers use many tactics to sound and appear credible, sometimes

The Valparaiso Police Department made the following statement about a stop arm violation awareness campaign on its Facebook Page Monday: “As part of a cooperative effort with the Valparaiso Community Schools, the Valparaiso Police Department, Porter County Sheriff's Department, and the Indiana State Police will be participating in a week-long campaign to bring awareness to stop arm violations.  The campaign will take place between April 15, 2024, through April 19, 2024, in and around the City of Valparaiso.  The goal is to educate drivers about the dangers of illegally passing a school bus when its stop arm is extended, putting

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - State Road 55 will be closed between State Road 2 and State Road 10 on or after Monday, April 22 through late June for two consecutive projects. State Road 55 will first be closed between 191st Avenue and 203rd Avenue for a bridge deck overlay over Griesel Ditch. This project will take approximately one month, and then the closure will be between 203rd Avenue and 205th Avenue for a bridge deck overlay over Singleton Ditch. Motorists should seek alternate routes. The official detour for both closures will follow State Road 2, I-65 and State Road 10.

HAMMOND, Ind. — Purdue University Northwest (PNW) welcomes the public to see students and faculty members’ scholarly activities on display through three upcoming research symposiums in April on the Hammond campus. PNW will host its annual Days of Discovery on April 18 at its Hammond campus, 2200 169th Street, Hammond, IN. Days of Discovery celebrates and showcases PNW student and faculty members’ academic excellence through activities such as poster presentations that document their scholarly findings. Attendees will also be able to hear from Michelle Thompson, associate professor of Planetary Materials at Purdue West Lafayette, who will serve as the symposium's

Since 2021, deputies have responded to an alarming number of calls for service (CFS) located at 2866 South CR 550 West. The 15 CFS to the residence have included an alleged sexual battery, narcotic overdoses, thefts, noise and fire complaints, to name a few, and the most recent on April 10th, where deputies responded to a fight involving several subjects. Following the April 10th incident, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) began to further investigate the residence and rightful ownership. It was discovered the homeowner passed away in 2021, and a subject identified as Jason P. STRYJEWSKI has been

Michigan City Area Schools has announced the recipients of the 2024 Teacher and Employee of the Year award. “These five staff members have gone above and beyond to serve our students and were recognized today by MCAS Superintendent Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins, Associate Superintendent Dr. Wendel McCollum, and representatives of Comcast and the Michigan City Chamber,” MCAS said on their Facebook page Friday. Congratulations to: Missy Burklow (Support Staff Employee of the Year) Maryanne Garon (Transportation Employee of the Year) Jenny Jones (Secondary Teacher of the Year) Susan Shell (Elementary Teacher of the Year) Diana Walpole (Food Service Employee of the

The LaPorte County E-911 Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 call on April 13th, 2024, at approximately 8:14 PM regarding a vehicle vs. motorcycle crash in front of Wendy’s, located at 3715 Franklin Street. The LaPorte County E-911 Regional Dispatch Center informed responding officers one of the two occupants riding a motorcycle had been ejected. Responding officers arrived quickly to the scene and located one of the motorcycle occupants suffering from a serious bodily injury. A preliminary investigation into this crash revealed two motorcycles were traveling southbound on Franklin Street when a vehicle traveling northbound on Franklin Street had attempted

The City of Valparaiso is accepting applications for the Mayor’s Youth Council 2024-2025 school year. Students entering their junior year in the fall are encouraged to apply by May 31, 2024. The council is a nonpolitical, educational opportunity to introduce students to the many areas of service within city government and perhaps spark aspirations. For information and registration information, visit https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/1730/Mayors-Youth-Council

Members of the Indiana Department of Transportation on Thursday helped out a cat that was stuck at a former INDOT unit location near U.S. 31 north of Plymouth. INODT says the cat was chased by some coyotes and sought shelter up on one of their old salt domes. Crews took a bucket truck to get the cat. INDOT says everything worked out and the cat is back home safe with his family.

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is introducing its newest member, K9 Riot. Last year, Major Patrick Cicero secured a Department of Homeland Security grant.  A portion of the awarded grant money included the selection and purchase of a new explosives K9, along with funding the training of the new handler and K9. Deputy Justin Phillips, a 16 + year veteran of the LCSO, was recently identified as the agency’s newest K9 handler following a competitive selection process. On Friday, Deputy Phillips and members of the K9 Division traveled to Vohne Liche Kennels (VLK) in Denver, Indiana to select the

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is alerting Hoosiers of consumer protection concerns for products recalled in March. The office encourages consumers to take advantage of opportunities available for those who purchase recalled items that could be harmful to their families. “The biggest concern of any parent is the safety and wellbeing of their children,” Attorney General Rokita said. “You might think you’re getting a good deal but if you invest in a flawed product, it could lead to a devastating disaster. If you have difficulty finding a solution for your recalled product, call my office immediately.” According to the Consumer

Press Release, La Porte County Sheriff's Office: Early this morning, Deputy Jon Sikorski was stationary on US 6 near CR 900 West. He was monitoring westbound US 6 traffic, along with northbound and southbound traffic on CR 900 West. Deputy Sikorski was in the area to address any traffic violations on surrounding roadways of the US 6 and US 421 South Junction, due to the intersection being closed for the roundabout project. At 12:27 AM, he observed a vehicle traveling west on US 6 maneuver around and disregard two barricades in the roadway with “ROAD CLOSED” signs affixed to them.

Press Release, Porter County Community Foundation: The Porter County Community Foundation approved $232,184 in grants to 33 local nonprofit organizations as part of its first of two grant cycles for 2024. Grant recipients include: 4th Street Theater - $4,000 to support an upstairs HVAC unit Beverly Shores Museum and Art Gallery - $1,700 to support the “Learning the Land: Stewarding Beauty” art exhibition Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana - $9,750 to support Chesterton Boys & Girls Club STEM equipment Center of Workforce Innovations - $3,780 to support Porter County Construction and Skilled Trades Day Dunes Learning Center

The Activity Center for Older Adults has partnered with REAL Services to host a series of free health education classes for members. Beginning April 24, join them from 10 a.m.-noon Wednesdays for A Matter of Balance course. For additional information or to register, please call the ACOA at 219-326-5354. More information can also be found on the City of La Porte Park and Recreation Department Facebook page or at www.laporteparkandrec.com.  

The Michigan City Police Department will be partnering with the Drug Enforcement Agency for their 26th "Prescription Drug Take Back." The department will be "Taking Back" any expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs on April 27 between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. This program is for pills only, and the department will not accept any liquids, needles, or any sharps of any kind. MCPD is also reminding the public that the department has a "Pill Drop Box" where pills can be dropped off any day from 8am-10 p.m.