Local News

Community Partners, a family service program of Geminus Corporation, requests grant proposals for child abuse and neglect prevention services. The call for proposals supports the Geminus partnership with the Indiana Department of Child Services to provide community-based social services to families and children in Benton, Porter, La Porte, Jasper, Pulaski, Starke and Newton counties. Grant awards cover services between July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Applicant Criteria Nonprofits in Benton, Porter, La Porte, Jasper, Pulaski, Starke and Newton counties Prevention services supporting families and children in aforementioned counties Submission Criteria Applications are due April 12, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.

Two people died and two others sustained severe injuries after a crash last Friday, according to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office. At around 3:08 a.m. on Feb. 16, the Jasper County Sheriff's Office received an automated notification regarding a vehicle crash in the vicinity of County Road 1200 N., near County Road 900 W., where an occupant wasn't responding. Deputies from the Jasper County Sheriff's Office and an Officer from the DeMotte Police Department went to the scene. Upon arrival just minutes after the initial report, the DeMotte Officer discovered a vehicle that had veered off the north side of

The Indiana State Police is seeking witnesses to a shooting on I-80/94 in Lake County on Saturday night, Feb. 17, the Town of Chesterton reported on its Facebook page. At approximately 5:15 p.m. the driver of a 2009 Ford Escape lost control of his vehicle on I-80/94 near Burr Street. Investigators have determined that the driver was “struck by gunfire and, as a result, crashed the vehicle into the median wall,” the ISP said. “The driver was transported to a local hospital for treatment.” Anyone who witnessed the accident or recorded in-car video of the incident is asked to contact

Mayor of La Porte Tom Dermody says that continued train horns are being addressed. Dermody said on his Facebook page that after numerous calls, Norfolk Southern informed the city that they will be out this week installing whistle post signs along the tracks to alert train engineers that La Porte is a quiet zone. Dermody said train horns will hopefully stop after that. Residents can report train horns at this link: https://www.fra.dot.gov/app/violationreport

News release, Purdue University Northwest: The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest (PNW) will host the inaugural Uthiverse StartUp Madness Business Pitch Tournament during a live event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 30 inside the Fitness and Recreation Center gymnasium at PNW’s Hammond campus. The Uthiverse StartUp Madness is an innovative pitch competition designed to give high school students participating in a diversity of entrepreneurship programs an opportunity to win $2,500 in seed money. Thirty-two teams will be selected from regional applicants to compete live in a bracket-style pitch tournament. Winners can use the seed funding to

News 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

Press release, Franciscan Health: Franciscan Health Family Birth Center Dyer is aiming to improve maternal health outcomes with its new “I Gave Birth” initiative, which uses bracelets to help identify post-partum women. The program first launched in 2021 at the University of North Carolina Collaborative for Infant and Maternal Health. Other hospitals across the country have developed their own programs based on that model, including Franciscan Health Dyer. Post-partum care is of particular concern in Indiana, which has one of the top 10 worst maternal mortality rates in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Locally,

Join Purdue University Northwest for a Poetry Slam to celebrate black history, joy, love, freedom, equality, community, and to honor Bob Marley’s dedication to spreading love, compassion, and freedom through his music and poetic lyrics. Poems read should reflect these ideas! Email kvasilk@pnw.edu by Feb. 20th to read at event and be considered for prizes. Open to students, faculty, staff, and community members. There will be food, prizes, and giveways! February 21st, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Westville Campus , LSF 144 4:30 -5 p.m. Opening remarks and food 5-6 p.m. Scheduled Readings 6-6:30 Opem Mic Questions? Contact kvasilk@pnw.edu

Priorities and evaluation criteria for the federally funded Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) grant applications administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology (DHPA) are available for public review, with comments due by April 8. These priorities are reviewed annually and established within the parameters of the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund Grant Manual. They represent the types of projects the DHPA views as important to its mission to identify, document, investigate, preserve, and interpret cultural resources in Indiana. To review the HPF grant guidelines and priorities for fiscal year 2025, go to:

The Presidential Primary will be held on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at New Buffalo City Hall, 224 W. Buffalo St. New Buffalo, MI 49117. The polls are open from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. The Early Voting Site is located at 1205 N. Main Street, Niles, Michigan 49022. The hours of operation are 8:30am to 4:30pm daily through Sunday, February 25, 2024 with the exception of Wednesday, Feb. 21 when the hours of operation are 11:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m. Below, is the link to show you what is on the ballot. https://loom.ly/oPUoKUE

Hoosier heroes step up to the plate to serve, protect and take care of Indiana every day. Now through Feb. 24 honors a group of heroes who work year-round to ensure your county is ready to respond to a crisis. Counties throughout Indiana have emergency management offices that take steps to reduce their communities' vulnerability to hazards and to help cope with disasters. These Emergency Management Agencies (EMAs) work with other public safety partners and organizations to prepare for, mitigate, respond to and recover from emergencies. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security joins Gov. Eric J. Holcomb in recognizing the

The Michiana Humane Society is thrilled to announce our 4th Annual Cabin Fever Pawction, an online auction to support the care of our beloved shelter pets. The Cabin Fever Pawction is more than an auction; it's a testament to our community's compassionate spirit and a critical source of support for our shelter pets. Taking place from March 4th to 10th, 2024, the auction showcases a diverse array of unique experiences, items, and services. A preview of the items will be viewable starting March 1st. Dog Grooming Wine Tasting Tour   Auction items include one-of-a-kind experiences, vacation getaways, pet-friendly and kid-friendly

To accommodate passengers attending the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting taking place Feb. 22-24 at McCormick Place, the South Shore Line will be offering select weekday train stops at McCormick Place Station on Thursday, Feb. 22, and Friday, Feb. 23. In addition to regular SSL weekend service to McCormick Place, the following weekday trains will make special flag stops at McCormick Place on Feb. 22-23: All weekend trains except Train 601 utilize McCormick Place as a flag stop. While riding the train, please notify the conductor that you want to exit at McCormick Place. When waiting to catch an outbound

The City of Valparaiso has once again been named a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community by The League of American Bicyclists, announced Parks Director Kevin Nuppnau. Valparaiso joins just 14 other communities in the State of Indiana to be recognized, renewing the recognition originally awarded in 2019. “We truly are a fit city and one committed to the mission of the League of American Bicyclists of creating safer roads, stronger communities and a Bicycle Friendly America,” said Mayor Jon Costas. “With 23 miles of pathways, 14 off-road trails, plus miles of bike lanes and a BikeShare service, we work to make

A 19-year-old man has been arrested after a structure fire in Porter, according to a joint press release by Porter Police and Porter Fire. Early Friday, just before 1:05 a.m. Porter Police and Fire responded to a report of an abandoned structure on fire at Wabash Avenue and Johnson Beach Road. It was discovered that a small, abandoned house located behind the old Johnson Inn was engulfed in flames. Porter Fire struck a first alarm and initiated a defensive attack. Some neighboring homes were evacuated out of an abundance of caution due to the heavy fire conditions that were compounded

An Illinois man was hospitalized Friday with life-threatening injuries after colliding head-on with another vehicle during a police pursuit on the Indiana Toll Road. Just before 2:10 p.m. police officers with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department began pursuing the driver of a sedan for traffic violations.  The pursuit started on northbound I-65 and continued onto the Indiana Toll Road heading west.  At the state line, officers attempted a maneuver to safely stop the vehicle, but the driver managed to get away.  He began driving the wrong way on the Toll Road into oncoming traffic, eventually striking another passenger car head-on.

The Duneland Chamber of Commerce will host its Corkscrew & Brew event on Saturday, March 16, from 12 pm to 4 pm. Set in Chesterton’s beautiful Thomas Centennial Park, the 9th Annual Corkscrew & Brew will gather local wineries and breweries for this springtime tasting. This event is a fundraiser for the Duneland Chamber of Commerce. Corkscrew & Brew will feature tastings from over twenty wineries and breweries. Live music by the Jason Martin Trio will be playing in the park. Food will be available for purchase from Frankie’s Bangers and Leroy’s “Hot Stuff” Homemade Mexican Food. We also encourage

City Hall of Michigan City will be closed Monday, Feb. 19, in observance of Presidents Day. The Michigan City Refuse Department will run its normal routes throughout the week. They anticipate there will be no delay in trash pick-up.

ITR Concession Co. LLC (ITRCC), the maintainer and operator of the Indiana Toll Road, announced on Friday the successful completion of a project to construct solar energy systems at 14 locations across the Toll Road. The project was advanced in collaboration with Solscient Energy, a turn-key provider of solar energy generation solutions based in Toledo, Ohio. The project known as Project Soleil is designed to generate enough solar energy to service over one-third of the Toll Road’s electricity needs and is expected to reduce annual carbon emissions by approximately 900 metric tons. In October 2021, ITRCC first committed to a

Porter-Starke Services will be offering a six-lesson program this spring on ways for seniors to stay healthy and engaged, according to the Town of Chesterton Facebook page. It’s called the Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE) and it will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. every Friday beginning March 1 through April 5, at the First Christian Church, 1507 Glendale Blvd., Valparaiso. Meet new people as you acquire the skills to enjoy fully your Golden Years: *Learn about the aging process and how to make healthy lifestyle choices. *Celebrate this exciting stage of life and its benefits. *Discuss risk