Local News

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has forecasted an Air Quality Action Day (AQAD) for Tuesday, July 25 in parts of northern Indiana. Air quality is expected to reach the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (Orange) level as indicated below. IDEM is forecasting high levels of fine particles (PM2.5) due to smoke from Canadian wildfires 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

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - The Indiana Department of Transportation has announced short-term road closures on U.S. 41 and State Road 152/Indianapolis Blvd. for next week while Norfolk Southern rebuilds two at-grade crossings. U.S. 41 will close first, with Indianapolis Boulevard closing when U.S. 41 reopens. U.S. 41 will be closed on or after Monday, July 31 for approximately three days between Fayette Street and Kane Street. The official detour for this closure will follow I-94, U.S. 20/Indianapolis Boulevard, and State Road 312. Indianapolis Boulevard will be closed on or after Wednesday, August 2 for approximately two days between 165th Street

The Salvation Army will continue to “light the path” for local families with an annual dinner and auction to support its case management program. The Light the Path Dinner & Auction, which supports The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope program, will take place on Thursday, August 10 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Uptown Social, 907 Franklin Street. This event benefits an intense case management program that helps break the cycle of generational poverty. “We work closely, one-on-one with families who are ready to make a change within the family unit, and are ready to become more self-sufficient,” said

The City of La Porte announced today the next rock show coming to The Civic, according to Civic Auditorium & Events Director Brett Binversie. Scheduled to play the historic venue on Friday, Sept. 22, is popular Canadian rock band Loverboy. With their trademark red leather pants, bandannas, big rock sound and high-energy live shows, Loverboy has sold more than 10 million albums and released the classic ‘80s anthems, “Turn Me Loose” and “Working for the Weekend.” Having delighted audiences around the world for the last 40 years, Binversie said it is quite a feat to have La Porte be one

An inmate at the La Porte County Jail died on Saturday night, the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) announced. According to the LCSO, at approximately 11:59 p.m. EMS was requested at the  jail to aid an inmate having an unknown medical episode. The inmate, who was conscious at the time, was transported to Northwest Health La Porte Hospital where they subsequently died. Autopsy and toxicology test results are pending. The investigation is ongoing.

Walsh Construction has provided the following update on road closure information related to NICTD’s Double Track Northwest Indiana Project:   Sheridan/10th – TBD – will be a 5-day closure   10th and Huron at Amtrak crossing – 8/14/23 open 8/28/23   Ohio/11th – close 8/14/23 open 8/18/23   Wabash/11th – close 7/12/23 open 8/11/23   Washington/11th open 7/12/23   Chicago/11th open   Franklin/11th – Open   Michigan Blvd/11th – Mid August   Michigan Blvd/Vail St – Mid August   Michigan Blvd/School St – Mid September   Michigan Blvd/Carroll Ave – Mid September   10th Street Huron to Sheridan – –

Several local organizations have announced a community-wide school supply drive, which runs through July 26. Supplies collected during the drive will be distributed to area students who are in need of materials to start the school year. Many area businesses have set up collection bins to accept donations from their employees and the general public. Collection sites are located at Al’s Supermarket (Franklin Street and Karwick locations), Captain Ed’s Candy Island & Furniture Showroom, First Trust Credit Union, the Michigan City Area Schools’ Administration Building, Michigan City’s City Hall, Meridian Title Company, First United Methodist Church, and Restore Dental Arts.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind., — The Indiana Department of Transportation announced that State Road 331/Capital Avenue will be reduced to one lane in each direction for resurfacing between Jefferson Road and U.S. 20 on or after Monday, July 24. The project will have alternating lane closures and be ongoing through late October. Check the WIMS website and follow the WIMS Facebook page for more of the latest area roadwork alerts.

The Indiana Department of Transportation will host public information meetings to provide updates and gather feedback regarding an annual update to the state's Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Deployment Plan. The plan is federally required as part of Indiana's participation in the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program and must be updated each year. Created by the passage of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, NEVI provides federal funding to states to add DC Fast Charge charging stations along federally designated alternative fuel corridors (AFC’s). Indiana’s effort feeds into a national initiative to create a network of at least 500,000 reliable chargers

INDOT has a traffic alert for I-65 and I-94 in Lake and Jasper counties. Starting Sunday evening July 23, slow moving paint crews will be striping I-65 between mile marker 246-201 during the overnight hours. This is expected to take approximately three nights, weather permitting. Work will move to I-94 between mile marker 12-45 in Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties after I-65. INDOT is asking drivers to be on the lookout for slow moving vehicles, give crews plenty of space to work and avoid driving over wet paint.  

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. — Indiana State Police are investigating and seeking information on a fatal vehicle vs. pedestrian crash that happened on I-80 Tuesday night. At around 11:30 p.m., 911 calls were made to dispatch reporting a black female wearing all black walking in the roadway in the area of I-80/94 eastbound just east of Broadway.  Shortly thereafter, callers reported that the pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle.  The vehicle that struck the pedestrian left the scene. The pedestrian died as a result of the impact. Identification of the deceased is pending confirmation by the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

The Ogden Dunes Police Department announced that Hillcrest Road will be closed at the railroad tracks from Saturday, July 22 through Monday July 24, for NICTD Double Track construction. All traffic in and out of Ogden Dunes will be rerouted through the Portage Lakefront Park back entrance into town. Check the WIMS website and Facebook page for more area roadwork updates.  

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Community organizations have once again joined forces to host the “Citywide Back to School Rally,” providing school supplies and an end-of-summer celebration for Michigan City families. The rally will take place on Saturday, July 29 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Elston’s Gill Field, 317 Detroit Street, Michigan City. This event, which has taken place every summer for more than 10 years, is highly anticipated by the community every year, says Patricia Harris of the Indiana Black Expo Michigan City Chapter, which coordinates the Citywide Back to School Rally committee. “We know that many families

The Indiana Department of Transportation has announced that the ramp from I-65 northbound to I-94 eastbound in Lake County is closed again this weekend for concrete work The closure starts Friday evening (July 21) and is set to reopen by Monday morning. The detour will be to continue north on I-65 and take U.S. 12/20 to S.R. 51/Ripley where motorists can get on I-94 eastbound.

Michigan City, IN –The Michigan City Chamber of Commerce (chamber) announced Jessica O’Brien as the Ambassador of the Quarter for the Second Quarter of 2023. “I believe the Chamber of Commerce is such an important part of growth and progress in my city, so I’m happy to volunteer my time to help them grow and succeed. The Chamber team is accessible and helpful, serving as a great resource and advocate for their members,” O’Brien said. The Ambassador of the Quarter is given to an individual who has shown dedication to the mission of the Michigan City Chamber of Commerce by

PRESS RELEASE:   Hebron- This morning at approximately 7:00 a.m., the Indiana State Police SWAT executed several search warrants on a residence located at 107 S. Main St. in Hebron, IN. These search warrants were the result of an extensive investigation lead by LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department Captain Andy Hynek and Indiana State Trooper Jace Haddon, but it included numerous other law enforcement agencies across northwest and central Indiana.   The investigation encompassed a crime spree that spanned several counties and local jurisdictions to include Logansport Police, Kouts Police, Newton County Sheriff’s Department, Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, LaPorte County Sherriff’s

Pinney Purdue Field Day Offers Crop Information for area Farmers. The 2023 Pinney Purdue Field Day is scheduled for Wednesday, August 16, 2023. Pinney Purdue Agriculture Center is located at 11402 County Line Road, Wanatah, two miles west of U.S. 421 and ½ mile north of U.S. 30. Participants will have opportunities to get updates on current ag production issues, visit with neighbors and fellow producers as well as ag supply and service exhibitors, and enjoy a great sponsored meal. Registration and exhibitor booths open at 7:30 a.m. CDT in the new machinery shed on the east side of County

Update from the La Porte County Prosecutor's office: On July 19th, the Laporte County Prosecutor’s Office secured two Guilty verdicts against Kyle Earley for Murder. Over the course of a 3 day trial, Deputy Prosecutors Sarah Konieczny and Doug Shaw presented the evidence to a jury, and secured Guilty verdicts for the murders of John and Denis Earley. Prosecuting Attorney Sean Fagan said, ‘When you have great people, you get great results. Doug and Sarah, along with Chief Deputy Chuck Watterson, worked this case tirelessly, and thanks to their dedication, they secured justice on behalf of the State of Indiana

Duneland Chamber Community Awards Luncheon 2023 was a success! Team WIMS had a great time getting to meet these incredible individuals, and hearing about all of their hard work! Here is a list of your winners: Volunteer of the Year - Brian Bolin Volunteer of the Year - Scott Palla Humanitarian of the Year - Duneland Exchange Club Business Renovation - Glacial Sands Business Renovation - Heartland Business Renovation - Lia's Bella Cucina Putting Duneland on the Map - Aidan Torres New Construction - Allen Law Group Serviceperson of the Year - Officer William Reshkin Serviceperson of the Year -

The Michigan City Police Department is congratulating Officer Dylon Travis on participating in Cops Cycling for Survivors bicycle ride. Officer Travis rode from Merrillville to South Bend with the group. The group rides the whole state of Indiana bringing awareness of fallen officers who are killed in the line of duty and their survivors. Officers and staff from the Michigan City Police Department met the group at their stop at Westville Correctional Facility to pay tribute and support Officer Travis. The MCPD Traffic Division helped with the escort of the riders while they were in LaPorte County.