Local News

Press release from La Porte County Sheriff’s Office: While Independence Day will be in the middle of the week this year, deputies will be on the lookout for impaired drivers throughout the weekend leading up to the holiday. The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is taking part in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement mobilization to educate motorists about the dangers and consequences of impaired driving. From June 30 until July 8, additional deputies will be on patrol with the primary goal of preventing tragedies previously seen around the July 4th holiday. The high-visibility enforcement effort is

In Portage on Tuesday the Central Avenue closure between Swanson Road and Willowdale Road was removed. The road remains open through the Independence Day Holiday. Notice will be provided prior to it being closed again.

Portage Police are seeking video surveillance to assist in identifying suspect(s) involved in a "a rash of vehicle vandalisms" around the city during the early morning hours of Saturday between midnight and 5:00 a.m. The department is asking residents in the area of Mulberry Avenue, Fallen Timbers Avenue, and Techumseh Street to check your video surveillance cameras to see if you captured any images of the suspect(s) involved. Those who do have video images, are asked to contact Detective Dandurand at 219-764-5705.  

An INDOT contractor will close ramps to and from I-80/94 for concrete restoration work on or after Wednesday, July 5. The following ramps will be closed on/after July 5 through late July: Westbound I-94 to Broadway/State Road 53 Broadway/State Road 53 to westbound I-94 Westbound I-94 to Grant Street Grant Street to westbound I-94 Burr Street to westbound I-94 Motorists should note that the schedule for the westbound ramps involves closing ramps at only two interchanges at a time. The ramps at Broadway/State Road 53 and Grant Street are currently scheduled to be closed first, and once one of those

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Day (AQAD) in the Unhealthy Air Quality Index range and is forecasting high levels of fine particles (PM2.5) in the air for Wednesday, June 28, in the following regions: Central/East Central Indiana, including the cities of: Bloomington, Brookville, Columbus, Frankfort, Indianapolis, Greensburg, Kokomo, Lebanon, Martinsville, Muncie, Richmond and all other cities within the area. North Central Indiana, including the cities of: Elkhart, Goshen, Knox, Logansport, Plymouth, Peru, South Bend, Warsaw, Winamac and all other cities within the area. Northeast Indiana, including the cities of: Angola, Auburn, Decatur, Fort Wayne, Hartford, Huntington City, LaGrange, Marion,

The Porter County Traffic Safety Partnership will be participating in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement mobilization to educate motorists about the dangers and consequences of impaired driving. From Friday, June 30, through Saturday, July 8, officers will be increasing patrols with the primary goal of preventing tragedies previously seen around the Fourth of July holiday. The extra high-visibility enforcement is being funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI). Impaired driving includes more than just alcohol. Drugs and even some over-the-counter medications can also cause impairment and affect

The Food Bank of Northern Indiana will have mobile food distributions at the following locations:   Friday, July 7, 2023 – St. Joseph County 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. ET *While supplies last. WHERE: Liberty School, 600 Pregel Dr., Mishawaka, IN 46545                                                                                                                    

Several beach hazards statements are in effect for the South Shore area including the counties of Lake, Porter, La Porte and Berrien.   For La Porte County: ...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM CDT TUESDAY THROUGH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT... * WHAT...Life-threatening conditions are expected through late Tuesday night. Waves building to 5 to 7 feet Tuesday then subsiding late Tuesday night. Strong rip, structural, and longshore currents are expected. Piers will be heavily swamped by waves through late Tuesday night. * WHERE...Northern La Porte county. * WHEN...From 1 AM CDT Tuesday through late Tuesday night. * IMPACTS...Strong

Porter County Emergency management has given an update on air quality testing. Late Monday afternoon Porter County EMA said on its Facebook page that it has worked in conjunction with LaPorte County EMA and Hazmat to ensure testing has been conducted specific to the gas involved, which they say is Sulfur Dioxide, in Sunday night's events. “All areas tested resulted in readings of zero parts per million,” Porter County EMA said. “This testing reveals that the environment is in fact safe for citizens. We apologize for any delay in getting results out to the public. However, we wanted to be

News release by Indiana Department of Environmental Management: INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Day (AQAD) and is forecasting high levels of fine particles (PM2.5) in the air for Tuesday, June 27, in the following regions: North Central Indiana, including the cities of: Elkhart, Goshen, Knox, Logansport, Plymouth, Peru, South Bend, Warsaw, Winamac and all other cities within the area. Northeast Indiana, including the cities of: Angola, Auburn, Decatur, Fort Wayne, Hartford, Huntington City, LaGrange, Marion, Portland, Wabash and all other cities within the area. Northwest Indiana, including the cities of: Crown Point, Gary, Hammond, Kentland,

The Indiana State Police-Lowell Post have addressed the public about a Facebook group that they say claims to have intimate knowledge of cold case investigations. The Indiana State Police-Lowell Post stated the following on their Facebook page: “The Indiana State Police has been made aware of a Facebook group claiming to have intimate knowledge of cold case investigations and the statuses of those involved. The Indiana State Police wants to end the speculation that has been taking place which may or may not give false hope to those involved in these cases.  The Indiana State Police has NOT taken over

The Michigan City Police Department is reminding residents of the fireworks ordinance. The department posted the following on its Facebook page: As the weather gets warmer and 4th of July gets closer, MCPD receives an overabundance of firework related calls for service. MCPD would like to remind everyone that fireworks can only be discharged by persons 18+ years old and only during set dates and times outlined in city ordinance 54-231. Inside of the corporate limits of Michigan City, fireworks can only be discharged on the following dates and times: ▪️June 29th-July 3rd from 5:00 p.m. until 2 hours after

The Jasper County Commissioners have extended the 'no burn order' until June, 30. The Jasper County Sheriff’s office said on Friday that extremely dry weather conditions continue to persist. Area fire chiefs have recommended to the Board of Commissioners to re-issue this directive, according to the Jasper County Sheriff's Office. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office also said on its Facebook page, “Please, no open burning and refrain from the use of fireworks.”

News release by Indiana Department of Insurance: Indianapolis – The online platform created by the Indiana Department of Insurance (IDOI) for reporting cybersecurity events is now live. The new online form was created as a result of the Indiana Insurance Data Security Law that went into effect on July 1, 2021. The Indiana Insurance Data Security Law requires insurers and other entities licensed by the IDOI to develop, implement, and maintain an information security program, investigate any cybersecurity events, and notify the IDOI of such events. The law also established the IDOI as the regulatory body to receive, monitor, and enforce

Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. issued the following statement regarding fake tax debt payment letters allegedly being sent out by a third party. “I’d like to make the public aware of letters allegedly being sent to Lake County property or business owners demanding immediate payment of tax debt.  The letters feature the heading “Distraint Warrant”, which is a legal term related to a government agency’s power to ensure payment of delinquent taxes.  In the letters, the sender gives a phone number to call if debtors want to avoid collection action including “…garnishment of wages and bank accounts”.  The sender

Jasper County Sheriff Pat Williamson and Newton County Sheriff Shannon Cothran addressed the recent theft of GPS Globes from tractors. Sheriff’s offices are concerned about the recent incidents of GPS globe theft from tractors. “These thefts not only pose a significant financial burden to farmers but also disrupt their operations and hinder productivity, the Sheriffs of Jasper and Newton Counties in a joint statement. “GPS globes are crucial components of modern farming equipment, enabling precision agriculture techniques that optimize resource utilization, increase efficiency, and maximize crop yields,” the sheriffs said. “Unfortunately, the theft of these vital devices has become a

Press release by Michigan City Area Schools: MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA (June 22, 2023) – The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation Board of Trustees has awarded a grant to the Michigan City Area Schools Safe Harbor afterschool program to help fund its fall program, “STEM for Life: Kids Build Robots – Robots Build Adults.” “This grant will allow Safe Harbor to start robotics teams in the fall at each of the six elementary schools that we serve,” said MCAS Safe Harbor Program Coordinator Brenda Johnstone. “The generosity of community partners such as Cleveland-Cliffs is what gives us the resources to make a positive difference in

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Day (AQAD) and is forecasting high ozone levels for Friday, June 23, 2023 in the following areas Northwest Indiana, including the cities of: Crown Point, Gary, Hammond, Kentland, LaPorte, Michigan City, Portage, Rensselaer, Valparaiso and all other cities within the area. A state map including regions and affected counties is available at SmogWatch.IN.gov.  Friday will have a steady northerly wind flow all day inland with decreased cloud cover, highs in the middle 80’s, relative humidity values will be less than 40% with mostly sunny skies and

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. -- Michigan State Police have given an update to a death that occurred at the Berrien County Jail. According to the Berrien County Sheriff;s Office, on Tuesday, at approximately 12:45 p.m. a male inmate who was housed in the Receiving area of the Berrien County Jail was found unresponsive in his cell. Life saving measures were taken by jail staff and Medic 1 Ambulance but were unsuccessful. The Berrien County Sheriff's Office says the inmate had previous medical conditions and was lodged on June 18, for homicide and felony firearms. The Michigan State Police 5th District Special

A new rule has temporarily taken effect on Cedar Lake in Lake County restricting the speed of boats due to the ongoing dredge project on the waterway. Under the rule, an individual may not operate a boat at greater-than-idle speed within 200 feet of the dredge pipe, any dredge equipment, or in the narrowest section of the lake. Three designated crossings for navigating over the pipe at idle speed are marked with buoys and shown on the provided map, and the dredge equipment and pipe are also marked with buoys. The exact language of this rule, which remain in place