Local News

Hannah Trueblood has been named to the Valparaiso Board of Zoning Appeals by the Valparaiso City Council, announced Mayor Jon Costas. “Hannah Trueblood’s commitment to the community and background in service make her an excellent addition to our city’s Board of Zoning Appeals,” said Mayor Costas. Hannah Trueblood is a lifelong Valparaiso resident who has served as a full-time real estate broker since 2017. She has served on the Porter County Tax Board of Appeals, is a member of Northwest Indiana National Organization for Women and serves on the board for Valpo Next. She is the mother of two and

An East Chicago man is facing charges after crashing into an Indiana State Trooper’s patrol vehicle and fleeing the scene. On March 7, at about 11:30 p.m., Trooper Kevin Council was assisting with traffic direction on Cline Avenue near the bridge over the Grand Calumet River. Council was parked in the left lane with his police emergency lights activated due to an earlier crash that other officers were investigating. An SUV rear-ended Council’s police car, then revved its engine, and fled the scene at a high rate of speed. Council had to be transported to a local hospital for treatment

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office announced on Wednesday that it is receiving reports of an individual who is posing as a La Porte County Sheriff’s Office Deputy over the phone. Police say the individual has spoofed the Sheriff’s Office phone number, 219-326-7700, and is contacting unsuspecting people regarding an outstanding warrant for failure to appear with jury duty. The individual requests money over the phone to clear up the warrant. “The La Porte County Sheriff's Office would like to inform the public that no staff from the Sheriff's Office will contact you via the telephone and request payments for

The City of Valparaiso is offering a Know Your Neighbor grant program to support neighborhood gatherings, planned activities, block parties and other creative ideas that bring neighbors together. Neighborhood groups are eligible to apply once per year for a $250 Know Your Neighbor grant to pay for food truck rental, live music, bounce house or other entertainment and more. If your neighborhood does not have an active association or is a newly forming group, you may qualify for up to $500 to bring neighbors together for the first time. The grant is awarded as a reimbursement. Applicants are responsible for

The third annual LPFD Pancake Breakfast will be on Saturday, April 20 for all-you-can-eat pancakes, served by local firefighters. Your $10 ticket gets you a meal, entry into a $100 cash giveaway and the opportunity to bid in the silent auction. All proceeds from both the breakfast and raffle will benefit the Arnold J. Devereaux Scholarship Fund, which awards eight to ten graduating seniors from local high schools each year. Tickets can be purchased at the Station 1 prior to the event and on the morning of. Children 4 and under eat free. For more information, call (219) 362-3456.

Press Release, Indiana State Police - Lowell District: Mark your calendars for Saturday April 27, 2024, as the Indiana State Police partners with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for their 26th “Prescription Drug Take Back” initiative.  The “Take Back” initiative seeks to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft through proper disposal of unwanted prescription drugs. Collection sites will be set up nationwide for expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs which will be properly disposed of without threat to the environment.  This program is for pill and liquid medications.  Vaping pens without batteries and vaping cartridges will also be taken.  Needles or

LAPORTE AND STARKE COUNTIES, Ind. - An Indiana Department of Transportation contractor will close State Road 39 between County Road West 1800 South and State Road 8 beginning on or after Tuesday, April 9. State Road 39 will be closed through early June for a bridge deck overlay project over the Kankakee River. INDOT says motorists should seek an alternate route. The official detour will follow State Road 8, U.S. 35 and U.S. 30. This project was originally announced for fall 2023 but was pushed back due to weather conditions.

The following statement is from the owner of Marquette Mall, Moshe Shemian: “Marquette Mall, which opened in 1967, was one of the first air-conditioned malls in the state. In addition to its poplar anchors, the mall housed a seven-story office tower that was state of the art. "Nineteen years ago, Moshe Shemian and partners purchased Marquette Mall in hopes of someday developing it into a viable centerpiece property. Over the years some progress took place yet nothing came of the original dream and revitalization until recently when Moshe Shemian saw his own vision. That vision was to buy out his

The Michigan City Police Department welcomed Officer Robert Dokmanovic to the MCPD Family. Monday, Dokmanovic was sworn in at the Michigan City Police Department with a room full of family, friends and officers from police agencies in LaPorte County. The Oath of Office was administered by Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch and the Oath of Honor was administered by Chief Of Police Marty Corley. Officer Dokmanovic is a lateral transfer to MCPD after serving six years with the Lake County Sheriff's Department. Mayor Angie welcomed Dokmanovic to the City of Michigan City during her comments to those in attendance. The addition

The Town of Chesterton announced on its Facebook page that Washington Avenue has been closed to through-traffic between Creita Street and South Calumet Road as reconstruction is set to commence this week. The Town of Chesterton says residents of that one-block stretch of Washington Avenue have access from both South Second Street and Creita Street, although the contractor—Milestone Contractors North Inc.—has placed staggered barricades in the approaches. The Town of Chesterton added that erosion control measures have also been installed in the work site and milling could begin as soon as Wednesday, April 3. Washington Avenue is being reconstructed between

JASPER COUNTY, Ind. - The Indiana State Police Lowell Post Criminal Investigation Division has made an arrest in the I-65 interstate shooting that took place on March 28. Donavon A. Brewer, 32, from Merrillville, IN, turned himself in to detectives on Saturday, March 30th.  Brewer is currently incarcerated at the Jasper County Jail.  He has been charged with attempted murder, criminal recklessness. This continues to be an active investigation. Police say if anyone has any dash-cam footage of this incident, please contact the Indiana State Police at 219-696-6242 and speak with Detective Hamed.   Original story: Indiana State Police are

La Porte residents are invited to give back to both our parks and planet this Earth Day, according to Park Superintendent Mark Schreiber. In partnership with American RENOLIT, the City of La Porte will be hosting an Earth Day Celebration from 8-10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 23 at Fox Memorial Park. The festivities will include a ceremonial tree planting, park cleanup efforts and native wildflower planting. Schreiber said this is a great opportunity for residents to get their hands dirty while celebrating our parks and lakes. “For the last few years, the City has been proud to partner with American

News Release, Franciscan Health: CHESTERTON, Indiana – Franciscan WorkingWell is hosting a free, informative luncheon on April 24 to help attendees learn more about employer-based health and wellness programs. Franciscan HEALTHeACCESS is leading the region in advanced primary care models with more than 12 clinics and more than 40 company clients. As experts in the field, Franciscan representatives can explain how this medical model can improve the health of employees as well as a participating company’s bottom line. Luncheon topics include advanced primary care/employer-sponsored clinics, cost-saving medial models, HEALTHeACCESS, WorkingWell, advanced imaging, HEALTHeLIFESTYLE and more. The luncheon is scheduled to

News Release, NIPSCO: In observance of National Safe Digging Month in April, NIPSCO today shared results from a recent national survey of 1,000 U.S. homeowners revealing that more than half (51 percent) plan to complete an outdoor do-it-yourself project that involves digging in the next year. However, over half (56 percent) of those planning projects do not intend to notify 811 ahead of time, putting themselves and their communities at risk. Thousands of buried utilities are damaged each year due to digging activities. Safe Digging Month reminds homeowners and contractors that digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities

The City of Valparaiso will host a blood drive with the American Red Cross on Friday, April 5 at Valparaiso City Hall from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. To schedule an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org. According to the Red Cross, donors with all blood types are needed, especially those with types O negative, A negative and B negative.

The South Shore Line announced that Bikes on Trains will resume Monday, April 1 at bike stations between East Chicago and Millennium Station. Due to ongoing temporary busing, bikes will be prohibited from boarding east of East Chicago until Tuesday, April 9. With the conclusion of busing on April 9, bikes will once again be permitted at all bike stations. Please note NEW bike stations available following the conclusion of busing include: 11th St. Michigan City, Portage/Ogden Dunes, and Miller. Bike cars are bike rack-equipped in addition to regular seating so that passengers can ride in the car near their

Valparaiso City Services will have leaf vacuums out to pick up loose leaf piles April 8 – April 19. Please note that after this time, leaves will need to be bagged for pickup. To learn more, including your pick-up zone and how to sign up for updates, visit https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us or check out the link provided on the Valparaiso Now Facebook page.

The Starke County Sheriff's Office released its 2023 Annual Report on its Facebook page. The following information was provided: The number of calls for service for 2023 totaled 10,674. In comparison to 2022, deputies responded to 10,066 calls. Deputies conducted 1,678 traffic stops, 175 warrant checks, 277 business checks, and 204 extra patrol requests. Incidents generating a case report totaled 1,500 in 2023 compared to 1,214 in 2022. Major cases investigated in 2023 totaled 207. The detective bureau also had 25 outside agency assists in 2023. In 2023, a total of 523 subjects were arrested by deputies, in comparison of

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announces the first round of awards for Charging the Crossroads, INDOT’s plan to expand Indiana’s statewide electric vehicle charging network through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. INDOT received more than 100 applications in response to last year’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for candidate electric vehicle charging sites. Following the review process, INDOT is awarding NEVI funds for charging stations to be installed at 39 sites along Indiana’s Alternative Fuels Corridors (AFCs). “Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to expanding reliable charging infrastructure across Indiana,” INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith said. “We

NIPSCO will be closing Meridian Road between 900 North and 950 North in Liberty Township, Porter County on Monday and Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. The closure is for electrical work. Stay up-to-date with the latest roadwork projects by following WIMS on Facebook and by visiting wimsradio.com.