Local News

News release by Indiana Department of Education: INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) today released results from the 2022-2023 Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD-3) assessment, which show that too few Indiana students have mastered foundational reading skills by the end of third grade: nearly one in five students are still struggling to read at this key milestone. “Up until the end of third grade, students are developing key skills to become proficient in foundational reading. Once they advance to fourth grade they must be able to apply those skills to access future learning,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana

A Porter police officer and Good Samaritans rescued struggling swimmers this past Saturday at Porter Beach. Just before 4:30 p.m., officers were conducting foot patrol at Porter Beach when they were alerted to two swimmers struggling in the water. Officer Marty Gonzalez was directed to the struggling swimmers while Officer Tim Lucas retrieved Personal Flotation Devices (PFD’s) from a police vehicle. Officer Gonzalez removed his duty equipment and entered the water with the PFD’s provided by Officer Lucas, who remained ashore to secure Officer Gonzalez equipment and to direct additional responders. Several other beachgoers entered the water to assist in

UPDATE on a story we have been following here at WIMS, from the La Porte County Sheriff's Office -- Death Investigation During the late evening of July 22nd, La Porte County EMS was summoned to the La Porte County Jail (LCJ) to aid an inmate having an unknown medical episode. The inmate, Mr. Johnathon M. TRIPP (42 YOA) of Argos, was transported to Northwest Health – La Porte Campus by EMS. TRIPP passed away shortly after arriving at the hospital. Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division were immediately notified, and a death investigation was initiated. The investigation surrounding the death

JASPER COUNTY, Ind. - Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Rieth Riley Construction will close State Road 14 between U.S. 231 and C.R. N 350 W on or after Tuesday, August 22. State Road 14 will be closed through late September for a small structure replacement between the two junctions with C.R. 420 W. INDOT says motorists should seek an alternate route. The official detour will follow U.S. 231, State Road 10 and State Road 49.  

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office announced that on August 7th, Deputy Corey Chavez transferred from the Patrol Division to an open School Resource Officer (SRO) position within the agency. He was chosen following a selection process that commenced several weeks ago held by school and agency administrators. Deputy Chavez is now serving as the SRO for Tri-Township and MSD of New Durham Township School Corporations. Deputy Chavez began his employment with the LCSO in 2006 as a jail deputy.  In 2011, he was promoted to the Merit Division to serve as a patrol deputy.   Deputy Chavez is married,

LAPORTE COUNTY, Ind. - Chesapeake & Indiana Railroad (CKIN) plans to close their railroad crossing on State Road 8 in La Crosse between Daisy Street and Livingston Street beginning on or after Monday, August 21. State Road 8 will be closed for approximately five days in this location while CKIN rebuilds their at-grade crossing. Motorists should seek an alternate route. The official detour will follow State Road 39, U.S. 30, and U.S. 421.

The Michigan City Police Department announced that last Friday, K-9 Axel went 10-42 (off duty) for the last time as a member of the Michigan City Police Department. Due to unforeseen health reasons, K-9 Axel will retire from active duty with MCPD and spend all his time with the family of Officer Steve Wiegel. Members of the Michigan City Police Department joined Officer Wiegel and K-9 Axel to celebrate his career with MCPD.

Press release by Healthcare Foundation of La Porte: LA PORTE -- Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) proudly announces the release of the 2022 Report to the Community, a comprehensive review of the grants awarded, projects funded, and collective progress made by our community partners and nonprofit organizations. This annual report is a testament to our commitment to transparency and our dedication to highlighting the stories that shape our shared journey on the road to a healthier community.  The 2022 Report to the Community offers a look into the strategic priorities and initiatives HFL supports, as well as partner milestones that defined the year. Highlights include the hard work of councils like Partners for Healthier

The Portage Police Department Monday announced that Officer Anthony Ortiz, a five-year veteran of the Portage Police Department, has been selected to serve as their newest school resource officer. Officer Ortiz will be assigned to Willowcreek Middle School starting this week. “We are very grateful for our continued partnership with Portage Township Schools and believe Officer Ortiz will make an excellent addition to the SRO program,” the Portage Police Department stated on their Facebook page.

Multiple Beach Hazards Statements are in effect for Lake Michigan. For the counties of Northern La Porte, Northern Berrien, Southern Berrien: ...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM EDT /1 AM CDT/ TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING... * WHAT...High wave action, strong currents, and dangerous swimming conditions expected. Piers will be heavily swamped by waves. Waves 4 to 7 feet. * WHERE...In Indiana, Northern La Porte county. In Michigan, Northern Berrien and Southern Berrien counties. * WHEN...From 2 AM EDT /1 AM CDT/ Tuesday through Tuesday evening. * IMPACTS...Strong currents can pull swimmers into deeper water and high waves

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - An Indiana Department of Transportation contractor  will close the ramp from northbound I-65 to westbound I-94 for approximately three weeks starting on or after Tuesday, September 5. The ramp will be closed for joint repairs/rehab and extensive concrete restoration work, with approximately 4,400 square yards of pavement being full-depth patched. A full closure of the ramp was determined to be the safest and most efficient option to complete this work. INDOT says that due to the high volume of traffic that usually utilizes this ramp, motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and find alternate routes. The

The Starke County Sheriff's Office stated on their Facebook page that the 'Riding with the Sheriff program is unable to launch at this time. The department stated the following: "Reference our last post for Riding with the Sheriff, we are unfortunately unable to launch that type of program at this time. Sheriff Rosa has a vested interest in our youth. We believe it is imperative to develop relationships with our community. For those that emailed interest in the program, we will contact you in the coming weeks and see if you are interested in our officers coming out to speak

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. - Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Rieth Riley Construction will have alternating shoulder and lane closures on the U.S. 31/20 Bypass between Brick Rd and State Road 2 starting on or after Monday, August 21. Improvements will be made at the bypass interchanges at Brick/Cleveland Rd, Nimtz Parkway, Lincolnway west, and State Road 2. Work will include signing, striping, ramp and auxiliary lane improvements and will be ongoing through mid-November. Motorists should be prepared for changing traffic patterns and possible delays during peak times. INDOT encourages drivers to allow extra time when driving through this area

CASS COUNTY, MICH. Michigan State Police (MSP) Niles Post troopers were dispatched to M-51 Hwy near Maple Ln, Howard Twp, for an iPhone crash alert around 2:00 a.m. Upon arrival, evidence of a motorcycle crash was discovered and after a brief search the motorcycle and its lone rider were located.   Preliminary investigation revealed that the rider of a motorcycle was traveling northbound on M-51 towards Dowagiac when he veered off the roadway, lost control, and hit an embankment. It appears that the motorcyclist was then thrown from the motorcycle upon impact. The motorcyclist succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced

The Town of Chesterton is reporting that a 70-year-old Anderson, Ind., man has been charged with three felonies in connection with a shooting in Washington Township, outside the Pilot Travel Center at 4105 E. U.S. Highway 30, on Tuesday, Aug. 8. According to a Facebook post by the Town of Chesterton, the man was charged with intimidation, a Level 5 felony punishable by a term of one to six years; criminal recklessness, a Level 6 felony punishable by a term of six to 30 months; and pointing a firearm, also a Level 6 felony. “According to the probable cause affidavit

The Indiana Department of Health detected a pool of mosquitoes that tested positive for West Nile Virus in Porter County from samples collected in early August. The Porter County Health Department says residents should take precautions when going outside. Taking precautions such as: practicing bite prevention using an EPA- registered insect repellant, wearing long sleeves, eliminating standing water around the home, and avoid going outside during peak feeding at dusk and dawn. Container as small as a bottle cap can become a mosquito breeding site, so residents should take the following steps: Discard old tires, tin cans, ceramic pots or

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration today announced that software used by a contractor experienced a security breach that exposed certain personal information of Indiana Medicaid members. The names, addresses, case numbers and Medicaid numbers of more than 744,000 members of Indiana Medicaid were exposed in the breach, which occurred in the MOVIEit application used by Maximus Health Services. Social Security numbers of four additional Medicaid members were impacted. The MOVEit application breach affected companies and organizations worldwide and occurred in late May. Maximus alerted FSSA of the breach. The people affected in Indiana are members of

The City of Valparaiso has reached the mid-way point in its seasonal paving for streets and sidewalks, according to the City’s Engineering Department. “We’re pleased with the progress we’ve made, in arterial areas as well as in neighborhoods,” said Max Rehlander, Engineering Director. The City will pave approximately 7.8 lane miles of roadway this season and replace approximately 2.8 miles of sidewalk. The 2023 infrastructure improvement plan includes highly visible roadways, such as Vale Park Road (paved from Calumet Avenue east to Sturdy Road), portions of Yellowstone Road, and Franklin Street, which also included significant underground work in separating storm

The City of Portage announced on social media that Portage Avenue between Crisman Road and McCool Road is closed to through traffic for curb installation. The City of Portage said in another post “Starting Friday, August 11 and continuing for the next three weeks (weather permitting), Portage Avenue will be closed to through traffic for road reconstruction. Detour routes will be marked. One-way traffic (west bound only) will be provided for residents living off Portage Avenue to access their homes. Please plan accordingly and thank you for your patience.”

Press release from Indiana Department of Education: The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) today announced the expansion of Indiana Learns, a statewide grant program providing qualifying parents and families with $1,000 to spend on math and English/language arts high-dosage tutoring and approved out-of-school academic programs for their students. To date, more than 10,000 students are enrolled in Indiana Learns. “We know from our 2023 ILEARN proficiency results, and the ongoing academic impact/recovery analysis, that our middle school students in particular need strategic learning support and interventions,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “This newly released data was the