Local News

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Work will resume on U.S. 31 at the U.S. 20/31 bypass interchange on or after Monday, March 27 through mid-November to lower the roadway and increase the height clearance of the U.S. 20/31 bridge, the Indiana Department of Transportation announced. Restrictions will begin with the left passing lanes of U.S. 31 closed in both directions for approximately two weeks to build crossovers for future phases of construction. The work will cause a temporary closure of the ramp from westbound U.S. 20 to southbound U.S. 31, which is currently scheduled for the early morning hours of approximately

The City of Portage is holding its 2023 Community Cleanup on April 29 at Founders Square Park on Saturday to help clean up parks, trails, roadways and neighborhoods. The Community Cleanup will be from 9 a.m. to noon with a rain date of Saturday, May 6. All volunteers must register at Portage City Hall or by using the link attached to the QR code in the flyer for the event. For more information, contact Haley Mack at 219-762-5425 or hmack@portage-in.com.

A.K. Smith is holding a "Future Careers Expo" on Thursday, April 13 and they are seeking business professionals, current or retired, to volunteer to give their students a “mock employment interview.” A.K. Smith says this annual experience helps students prepare for future careers and the feedback they receive from their students and interviewers has been very positive. There are 2 sessions for the event, as they have students in the morning and in the afternoon from schools all over LaPorte County. “AM Session 7:45-9:25 PM Session 11:45-2pm” If you are interested in assisting with their “mock interviews” — or setting

Valparaiso City Services will be dispatching leaf vacuum crews, starting Monday, April 3 through Friday, April 14, to collect any left-over loose leaf piles that remain from this past fall or for those that did not have an opportunity to move their leaves to the parkway. The City of Valparaiso says any leaf piles after April 14, will need to be bagged and will be collected by a separate City Services truck. An interactive map of zones can be found here. For further questions, contact the Valparaiso City Services Customer Service Center at (219) 462-6174.

GARY, Ind. -- A motorcyclist died after crashing into the back of a semi on I-80 Tuesday evening. At around 7:10 p.m., Indiana State troopers were dispatched to a motorcycle crash on I-80/94 eastbound lanes at the 7.3 mile-marker, between Burr St. and Grant St. Preliminary investigation revealed that a sport-style motorcycle was traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed, passing vehicles along the skip line. Police say the skip line is the line that divides the lanes of travel. Police say that while driving in this fashion and passing a semi, the motorcycle made contact with the rear

The Town of Chesterton says three new ‘Welcome To Chesterton’ signs, whose purchase the Town Council approved in December, were installed along State Road 49 on Tuesday. Two have been placed along southbound State Road 49, at Indian Boundary Road and East Porter Avenue. The other sign was placed along northbound State Road 49 at 1050N. The Town of Chesterton says Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg sought authorization to purchase the signs last fall, after reporting that the current ones had deteriorated badly over the years. The signs should last some 20 years, Schnadenberg said. Additional information can be found on

Indiana DNR Director Dan Bortner announced that organizations in 23 Indiana counties across the state will receive $864,610 in grants to fund 34 lake and stream projects through the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program. The grants are funded through the LARE fee paid annually by boat owners when they register their crafts with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. This user funded program benefits boaters all over the state. The grants allow for the completion of lake and stream projects that would be difficult for local organizations to fund on their own. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis, and

The City of Valparaiso has announced the awarding of 20 new grants in the 2023 Neighborhood Improvement Grant program, providing over $216,000 in funds to support neighborhood unity and community improvements. Coupled with the matching investments by the neighborhoods themselves, this grant cycle will result in more than $350,000 in positive impact for the community. “These neighborhood grants truly contribute to Valparaiso’s excellent quality of life as they unite neighbors for projects they care about and then fund the work for lasting benefit. Neighborhood Improvement Grants are a positive way the City can support neighborhoods and elevate the community,” said

The Michigan City Refuse Department will conduct its Annual Spring Clean-Up beginning on March 27, 2023. The following information is from the Office Of Mayor Duane Parry:   The Refuse Department requests that all residents separate the debris that is to be discarded into the following three (3) categories: Brush, limbs, shrubs, yard waste, and unpainted concrete (no black-top rubble); Rugs, lumber, furniture, mattress, and box-springs; and Appliances and tires.  Tires can be rimmed or un-rimmed, and appliances include items such as stoves, refrigerators, air conditions, water tanks, etc. Please keep the above items separated as described above.  Residents may

Press release by Purdue University Northwest: HAMMOND and WESTVILLE, Ind. — Purdue University Northwest (PNW) will welcome Deirdre Mask, author of “The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal about Identity, Race, Wealth and Power,” as the keynote speaker during the university’s annual Days of Discovery research symposium. The presentation will include a live question and answer session and take place from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5 in Alumni Hall, located in the Student Union and Library Building, 2233 173rd Street, Hammond, IN. The keynote address by Mask is free and open to the public. Visit pnw.edu/one-book for

The La Porte County Family YMCA is collecting needed items for both the Pax Center, and Stepping Stone Shelter for Women through the end of March. Items can be dropped off at any of the La Porte County Family YMCA's three branch locations until March 31. See the flyer for a list of needed items.  

The Indiana Urban Fishing Program is celebrating 10 years of annually stocking channel catfish in urban lakes in order to bring quality fishing opportunities closer to Hoosiers’ backyards. Last week, the DNR stocked a total of 1,875 channel catfish ranging in size from 10 to 14 inches (average 12 inches). Robinson Park Lake Lake in Lake County was stocked with 300 catfish. The lake is located in Hobart. The lake is stocked three times from mid-March to the first week of June with catchable-size channel catfish. To find out more about the urban fishing program, including tentative stocking dates and

The Porter County Traffic Safety Partnership (TSP) will be working to safeguard students as they get on and off the bus this spring, the Town of Chesterton said on its Facebook page. Over the next couple of months in Porter County, beginning after most school systems’ spring break, officers will take positions along bus stops and routes specifically looking for stop-arm violations and dangerous driving, the Town of Chesterton said. The overtime patrols are part of the state’s Stop Arm Violation Enforcement (SAVE) program, which was developed by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) and funded by the National Highway

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announced today that $127.6 million in federal transportation funding is being awarded to 38 cities, towns, and counties across rural Indiana to invest in local road and bridge improvements, as well as sidewalk and trail projects. Combined with local funds, approximately $156.9 million is being invested to improve transportation infrastructure in communities receiving funds. “Improving local infrastructure is essential to the constant growth of communities across Indiana,” said Governor Eric J. Holcomb. “Enhancing our state’s transportation network allows for continued economic success to follow and a better quality of life for Hoosiers.”-

The Portage Police Department has welcomed their newest member of the Portage Police Department, a therapy dog named Tilly. Tilly is a 2-year-old Blue Heeler who has been trained to be a therapy dog at Paws & Stripes College, an AKC recognized program created by and ran by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. Tilly’s job will be to provide comfort and recovery for child crime victims, help veterans and first responders suffering from anxiety disorders, and visit any citizens in the community who could benefit from animal assisted comfort, the PPD says. (Portage Police Department / Facebook)

The Video Production Class at La Porte High School recently competed in the Indiana Association of Student Broadcasters Competition in the Video Spot Production category. Nearly 40 high schools participated in the event, featuring the work of over 726 students. Hallee Novak, Sara Villa, and Joy Defendre submitted an ad they created for Dawn dish soap and wereacknowledged with a fourth place finish. Visual/Digital Communications Teacher Don Varda said, "I was really proud of these young ladies. The video had excellent production value, great lighting, and editing. I was also impressed with Joy's performance in the video." Their work can

The Indiana Sheriffs' Association (ISA) announced information for their 44th Annual Youth Leadership Camps this year. The first session, serving the northern part of the state, will be held June 12 - June 15, at Pine Creek Camp in Pine Village, Indiana (Warren County).  The second session, serving the southern part of the state, will be held July 5 - 7, 2023, at Waycross Episcopal Camp in Morgantown, Indiana (Brown County). The ISA Youth Leadership Camps are a program for boys and girls who are currently in the 7th or 8th grade of school and are interested in learning more

The LaPorte County Crisis Intervention Team on Friday graduated 25 first responders from the Crisis Intervention Training. The participants consisted of officers from Michigan City PD, LaPorte City PD, LaPorte County Sheriff's Department, Trail Creek PD, Long Beach PD and Kingsford Heights PD. Dispatchers from the LaPorte County Regional Dispatch Center and the Center Township trustee also participated. CIT is grant funded and provides advanced training in dealing with individuals suffering a mental health crisis.  Course attendees received training from fellow law enforcement officials, community mental health providers, doctors, social workers, and interacted with individuals living with various mental health

Mayor Duane Parry announces the return of the Michigan City Easter Egg Hunt, to be held on Saturday, April 8, 2023, in Fedder’s Alley at Washington Park for the youth of Michigan City. “We are extremely excited for this year’s Easter Egg Hunt, as it is such a great event for the children in our community”, said Mayor Parry. “Last year’s event was a huge success, and with the support of all the City departments, this year will be even bigger and better!” “This is a great event for our community and a collaborative effort between community businesses, Police, Fire,

A La Porte man was recently arrested for impersonating a public servant. The La Porte County Sheriff's Office says that on Tuesday, March 14, at 3:25 p.m., a deputy was traveling in the 2800 east block of State Road 2 when he saw a delivery vehicle stopped along the shoulder of the eastbound lanes.  A GMC Yukon was also stopped and parked directly behind the delivery vehicle.  A man was speaking with a female, who was later identified as the driver of the delivery vehicle. As the deputy passed by the two stopped vehicles, he saw a large light stretched