Local News

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

The City of La Porte has announced that TransPorte will be closed on Tuesday, June 27 for mandatory drivers' training. Dispatchers will still be on duty to schedule rides for the rest of that week, but no rides can be scheduled for any time on June 27. The City of La Porte says to plan accordingly.

Press release by Purdue University Northwest: HAMMOND and WESTVILLE, Ind. — Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) student surveying team made PNW history by winning the 2023 ASCE Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute (UESI) Surveying Society-wide Finals Competition, held June 10-12 at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. In addition to taking first place overall at nationals, the team also placed first in the field surveying competition. The PNW team finished ahead of 15 other teams from across the nation. PNW’s team advanced to nationals by taking first place at the Indiana-Kentucky Region 4 competition, where they also

Press release by Northern Indiana Public Service Company: Merrillville, Ind. – For the sixth year, NIPSCO is accepting applications for a grant to support local nonprofit organizations and first responders who provide public safety education and training across northern Indiana. Grants are available in amounts ranging from $500 to $5,000. Applications are being accepted now through August 4, 2023, with grant awards announced during the week of August 21. In 2022, award recipients have utilized the funds, for example, for the following projects: Cass County Emergency Management Agency conducted a public safety training program for volunteer instructors to increase capacity

Press release by Healthcare Foundation of La Porte: LA PORTE – On June 14, 2023, Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) joined the Indiana Department of Education, Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, and North Central Health Services, Inc., to bring together 300+ Indiana school leaders, education stakeholders, healthcare providers, funders, and state and community partners for the first Youth Emerging Stronger (YES!) Summit. The YES! Summit, held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Noblesville Conference Center, provided a framework for expanding evidence-based prevention and mental health support within K-12 schools.   HFL launched the three-year grant initiative Partners in Prevention (PiP) in 2019 to

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Day (AQAD) and is forecasting high ozone levels for Thursday, June 22, 2023 in the following areas: North Central Indiana, including the cities of: Elkhart, Goshen, Knox, Logansport, Plymouth, Peru, South Bend, Warsaw, Winamac and all other cities within the area. 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.  Continued sunny skies with highs in the mid 80's as continued

Two teens were pulled from Lake Michigan at Porter Beach Tuesday and police later announced one of them had died. According to the Porter Police, emergency service personnel were dispatched to Porter Beach at around 6:50 p.m. Tuesday in reference to a 14-year-old female and an 18-year-old male in need of rescue while swimming. During the incident, a Good Samaritan pulled the 14-year-old female out of the water. However, the 18-year-old male remained lost for approximately 20 minutes before he was pulled to shore. Life saving measures were taken with the male, including CPR. Both victims were transported to a

The City of Portage has announced two roadwork alerts. The first alert states that through Saturday, June 24 the areas listed below will experience intermittent lane restrictions for road improvements involving new curbs, sidewalks and ADA accessible ramps: Central Avenue at Prairie Duneland Trail Central Avenue at Samuelson Road Samuelson Road at Prairie Duneland Trail Samuelson Road between US Hwy 20 / Melton Road and Portage Avenue Dates are weather dependent. A flag person will be on-site directing traffic. The second alert states that Prairie Duneland Trail will be closed to all traffic at Central Avenue and at Samuelson Road

Press release by: La Porte County Symphony Orchestra La Porte, IN- La Porte County Symphony Orchestra (LCSO) Principal Tuba Musician, Richard Watson, has had a chair named in his honor by an anonymous donor. With music degrees from the University of Michigan and Northwestern University, Watson will celebrate his 31st year with the LCSO's 2023-2024 season. He also has been an adjunct professor of tuba/euphonium at Valparaiso University’s Department of Music for 30 years. “What a wonderful honor for Rich Watson,” said Executive Director, Tim King. “Thanks to our anonymous donor who has recognized Rich’s contributions to the LCSO as well as