Local News

Press Release, Office of Public Affairs Media Relations: Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced that – three-quarters of the way through the fiscal year – it has granted benefits to 1.1 million Veterans and their survivors, an all-time record. In total, VA has awarded $137B in benefits, including $127 billion in compensation and pension benefits, to Veterans and survivors this year. To reach this milestone, VA has processed more than 2 million claims in 2024 – another all-time record, on pace to surpass last year’s record by more than 27%. The grant rate for these claims is 64.6%

The following is a statement from the South Shore Line regarding Lollapalooza: The following South Shore Line service updates will be in effect to accommodate passengers attending Lollapalooza, taking place Thursday, Aug. 1, through Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Grant Park. Thursday & Friday: An Extra eastbound train will depart Millennium Station at 10:40 p.m. (Van Buren St. at 10:43 p.m.), run non-stop to Hegewisch and make all local stops terminating at Carroll Ave. Alcohol will be prohibited on South Shore trains all day Thursday/Friday. Please be advised that glass bottles are always prohibited. Saturday & Sunday: Westbound Train 504

12-week ‘Bridges Out of Poverty: Getting Ahead’ class to start August 14 The Salvation Army of Michigan City will launch another 12-week session of “Bridges Out of Poverty: Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’ By World” beginning on Wednesday, August 14. Classes will take place every Wednesday at The Salvation Army, 1201 Franklin Street, at 5:00 pm. This will be the sixth series of Bridges hosted by The Salvation Army, a program that Major Becky Simmons feels is needed in the Michigan City community as a way of helping residents identify and overcome barriers. “This class is ideal for anyone who

The Porter Police Department has released a photo of an individual connected to theft. Police say the subject in the photo is wearing a light hooded sweatshirt with dark pants that have a bright colored stripe down the side. Several residents have reported their vehicle being rummaged through and in some cases items stolen, according to police. "We are asking for the public’s help with the following: If you live in/near downtown Porter, or the Woodlake Springs subdivision, please review any video footage you may have from security/door bell cameras between the hours of 1am-3am on 7/30/24," the Porter Police

The South Shore Line is letting the public comment on its new schedule. "It is the policy of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) that the riding public affected by changes in service be afforded an opportunity to comment on such changes before they are acted upon. To afford the public this opportunity to comment, NICTD is holding a public comment period through 5:00 pm (CST) on August 13, 2024. "NICTD will be updating the current Commuter Rail Service Schedule in August 2024. This comment period if for the update removing the McCormick Place Station flag stop from regularly

STATEHOUSE – The State of Indiana closed fiscal year 2024 with $2.551 billion in state reserves, confirmed State Comptroller Elise Nieshalla Tuesday alongside Office of Management and Budget Director Cris Johnston and Acting State Budget Director Joseph Habig. “Thanks to our long-standing conservative stewardship, which includes maintaining a healthy cash reserve between 10 - 15 percent of budgeted appropriations, Indiana closed out fiscal year 2024 with 11 percent in reserves,” said Comptroller Nieshalla. “In addition, we experienced a slight increase in income and a solid return on investments further supporting our strong financial position.” The year-end fiscal report shows Indiana’s

Porter County Coroner Cyndi Dykes has released the name of the victim in the fatal crash on U.S. 20 in Pine Township on Friday evening, July 26. The victim has been identified as 49 year-old Tia Elkins, of Valparaiso. ————————— ORIGINAL POST From Town of Chesterton Facebook page on July 29: Motorist dies in rollover on US 20 in Pine Township A motorist was pronounced deceased at the scene of a rollover accident on U.S. 20 in Pine Township on Friday evening, July 26, the Porter County Sheriff’s Police is reporting. According to the PCSP, at 8:52 p.m. the female

Press Release, Indiana State Police: This past Friday, July 26, the Indiana State Police Lowell Post conducted two traffic blitzes on I-65 and I-80/94.  This is the second time this month that these blitzes have been scheduled. The first blitz on Friday ran from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and the second took place from 10:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. The purpose of these blitzes is to not only enforce the traffic laws along these roadways, but to educate the public on safe driving with the goal of making Indiana roadways safer. Some of the offenses that

Community block party, police demos to highlight outreach event MICHIGAN CITY – July 25, 2024 – Michigan City Police Department is joining law enforcement agencies across the country to host a National Night Out on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. This is an annual community crime prevention and safety event that allows City residents to become more familiar with their first responders and have more comfort and confidence in their interactions. National Night Out will take place at the Civic Plaza Lots at 7th and Franklin Streets, on Tuesday, August 6 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. MCPD will hold demonstrations

Michigan City Area Schools teacher Susan Shell is among the Top 25 finalists for the Indiana Teacher of the Year. Shell is a kindergarten teacher at Marsh Elementary. She has taught at the kindergarten level for 17 years – 16 of them for MCAS. In order to create life-long learners, Shell believes that she must commit to being one, too. She earned her Master’s in Early Childhood Education in 2023, and completed a year-long training last spring in LETRS, a research-based program rooted in the science of reading. She participated in a Math Fellowship cohort last school year, piloting a

The median at U.S. 41 and 151st Avenue will close to through and turning traffic on or after Tuesday, July 30 in order to improve safety at this location ahead of an intersection improvement project planned for Fall of 2025. INDOT has been meeting with county, state and local officials regarding concerns with safety at this intersection. The vast majority of injury crashes at this location involve vehicles either crossing U.S. 41 on 151st or turning movements through the median. This is a temporary measure to bridge the gap until the planned intersection improvement project. A public hearing regarding that

The LaPorte County Agricultural Association is constructing a new Show Arena that will be ready to go for the 2025 Fair. The building will start construction by Garner Construction in early August. The specs are 124’x 224’ with a 80’ free span. The main focus of the building will be a Show Arena during fair week.    

Local senior veterans honored in open cockpit biplane, courtesy of nonprofit Dream Flights and Rittenhouse Village At Michigan City Nonprofit Dream Flights honored  seniors and veterans with free flights of a lifetime in a restored WWII-era biplane, the same aircraft used to train aviators during WWII. During the 20-minute flight, On Tuesday, July 23rd the Dream Flyers experienced the freedom and exhilaration of soaring 1,000 feet in the air in an iconic, open-cockpit-biplane. Veterans residing at Rittenhouse Village at Michigan City, 4300 Cleveland Ave, Michigan City, IN had a flight of a lifetime. ABOUT DREAM FLIGHTS Discovery Senior Living introduced a

Valparaiso, IN – The MAAC Foundation First Responding Training Campus is proud to announce the 5th Annual First Responder Appreciation & Demonstration Day (FRADD), scheduled for September 14, 2024. This highly anticipated event will take place from 9 AM to 2 PM CST at the MAAC campus. FRADD is a free event and serves as our largest fundraiser of the year. The day is dedicated to honoring and supporting our first responders by providing them with comprehensive and inclusive training and skill enhancement opportunities. This year's event will feature over 50 live demonstrations from various first responder disciplines, showcasing the skills

Congratulations Schererville 13u All Stars are headed to The Babe Ruth 13u World Series in Glen Allen , Virginia !!! Ohio Valley Regional Champions !!!! So proud of the Players, Coaches, and Parents! Good Luck and go finish strong!

PORTER COUNTY, Ind. - Indiana Department of Transportation maintenance crews will be resurfacing sections of I-94 resulting in lane closures between State Road 51/U.S. 6 and State Road 249 on or after Wednesday, July 31. Work will be ongoing for approximately one week, with intermittent lane closures during daytime work hours of approximately 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. Motorists should be alert for work crews and changing traffic patterns. INDOT encourages drivers to allow extra time when driving through this area and follow traffic directions carefully. Motorists should slow down, exercise caution and drive distraction-free through all work zones.

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Economic Recovery Corps Fellow Eze Redwood seeks to spark vibrancy and change during his three-year immersion in Michigan City. Michigan City and Gary were selected to collaboratively host Redwood through the ERC Fellowship Program, which was put into place by the International Economic Development Council and U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration in 2023. “They selected 65 ‘changemakers’ from thousands of applications around the United States and paired us with the cities that they saw as having the most potential,” Redwood said. “I was incredibly excited to have been matched with the Northwest Indiana region because

Come join in on the fun at La Porte Lakefest 2024! Day 2 features a slew of amazing events that are sure to entertain the whole family. See below for events, locations and times! (schedule may be subject to change)   July 27th   Bolt for the Heart 5K Run (Presented by Bolt for the Heart/Play for Jake Foundation) - Dennis F. Smith Amphitheater - 8am   Grass Volleyball Tournament (Presented by EVP Volleyball) - Fox Park - 9am   Kids Fun Zone (Presented by City of La Porte Park and Recreation Department/La Porte County Library) - Unity Park -

JASPER COUNTY, Ind. - Indiana Department of Transportation maintenance crews will conduct seal coating operations resulting in a road closure on State Road 110 beginning on or after Monday, July 29. State Road 110 will be closed during daytime work hours for approximately two days. The official detour for this closure will follow U.S. 231 and State Road 10. Through traffic should utilize the detour or seek an alternate route. Local traffic should exercise caution and follow traffic directions carefully in the area where work is occurring. This work is weather dependent, and the schedule is subject to change.

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Thursday, the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced it has awarded $18,215 to Lubeznik Center for the Arts (LCA) through the Arts Organization Support grant program. During its June 14 Quarterly Business Meeting, the Commission approved funding recommendations for the Arts Project Support and Arts Organization Support grant programs. Between the two grant programs, 338 organizations in 77 Indiana counties are receiving funding. “All across Indiana we have seen the positive impact that investing in arts and creativity has on quality of life,” said Anne Penny Valentine, Chair of the Indiana Arts Commission. “Each of the projects