Local News

News release by Franciscan Health: Victor Benavides, MD, has seen firsthand the benefits of respect for cultural diversity in healthcare. “It’s important to have good communication with patients and to understand and respect their culture,” Dr. Benavides said. “When you have mutual respect with your patient, the outcomes are better.” Dr. Benavides, a board-certified family medicine doctor, joined the Franciscan Physician Network at the LaPorte Health Center in La Porte in the fall of 2022. A native of Lima, Peru, Dr. Benavides was curious about medicine at a young age. “When I was little, my mother worked in a hospital

The Vibrant Michigan City initiative is hosting a community input session at 6 p.m. April 20 at HOPE Community Center and the community is invited to attend. Anyone wanting to learn more can join. The year-long Learning Lab will include research, meetings, discussions, interviews, public input and more that is pinpointed to areas identified as needing additional assistance to flourish. The process is guided by the Brookings and LISC leaders who will aid in the mobilization and cultivation of what is needed to boost the selected Midtown, East and West areas. The mission is to put together a Community-Centered Economic

The MCAS Transportation Department will be representing Michigan City Area Schools in the United Way of LaPorte County Lip Sync Contest, which takes place from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, April 14 at the LaPorte Civic Center. Eighteen bus drivers and monitors are in on the MCAS act, which is based on their viral video from 2019. They have been working on props, costumes, and dance moves. Michigan City Area Schools says they need your help. “Please either plan to attend the event (tickets are $50) or vote online for their act (votes are only $1 each!). Follow this link to

The Town of Chesterton has announced the Norfolk Southern railroad grade-crossing on North 15th Street that had been closed since Monday, Feb. 27 is now open. The crossing was re-opened to traffic on Wednesday. “Norfolk Southern informed Chesterton Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg late in the day on Friday, Feb. 24, that the grade-crossing would be closed for five days beginning the following Monday, for ‘immediate repair’ of the track, the Town of Chesterton said on its Facebook page. “It was Schnadenberg’s understanding, however, that once the actual repairs were completed, Norfolk Southern still had to cool its heels until the

News release by Purdue University Northwest: HAMMOND and WESTVILLE, Ind. — Parents looking for fun and engaging programs for their children for summer 2023 should check out Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) upcoming summer camps. The slate includes more than 35 programs in a variety of interest areas, with additional camps still being added. The PNW camps offer participants the opportunity to have fun while gaining memorable hands-on experience. Robotics, artificial intelligence, forensics, nursing, leadership, environmental sciences and volleyball are only a few of the camp offerings this summer. Students from K-12 will be able to explore topics of interest, deepen

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) will be working to safeguard students this spring. Over the next couple of weeks, deputies will be positioned along bus stops and routes looking for stop-arm violations and motorists driving dangerously. The overtime patrols are part of Indiana’s Stop-Arm Violation Enforcement (SAVE) program. SAVE was developed by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) and is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As part of the effort, deputies will work with local school corporations and bus drivers to identify problem areas where the highest number of violations occur. “We take stop-arm violations

All month, police officers with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department will wear special police badges and uniform patches symbolizing their unity with families and individuals affected by autism. According to a Facebook post by Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr., on April 1, the department featured their Autism Awareness patrol car at a party hosted in Munster to celebrate the hard work, diversity and success of people with autism in the community.  One of their officers attended the party and shared information on their Project Lifesaver rescue program, which could help find a person with autism quickly if they wander away and

The Chesterton Police Department worked 48 hours of extra patrols in March, concentrating on the State Road 49 corridor, as part of three grants sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according to the Town of Chesterton. The grants were Click It To Live IT, Driving Under the Influence Task Force and Blitz No. 121, which focused on impaired driving. Between March 1 and April 3, officers saturating the State Road 49 corridor between I-94 and the Indiana Toll Road compiled the following numbers: *130 traffic stops. *23 citations (seatbelt violations, speeding, driving left of center). *136 warnings (speeding,

The City of Valparaiso is celebrating trees with upcoming tree planting events and inviting the community to get involved. “As we look ahead to both Arbor Day and Earth Day, we wanted to mark these special days with tree plantings that gather neighbors and add to Valparaiso’s urban forest,” said Matt McBain, certified arborist for the City of Valparaiso. “We look forward to seeing the community come out and learn more about how to add value to their spaces and improve the environment by planting trees,” he said. At each event, McBain will offer information about how to plant trees

News release by Franciscan Health: MICHIGAN CITY, Indiana – Franciscan Health Michigan City will provide free blood pressure, blood glucose and body mass index screenings at two Michigan City barbershops on April 22 as part of the 11th Annual Indiana Black Barbershop Health Initiative. The events, which are free and open to the public, will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sharper’s Image inside Meijer at 5150 Franklin St. (https://www.loc8nearme.com/indiana/michigan-city/meijer/412743/) and Platinum Designs at 1801 Franklin St. Health education and giveaways will also be part of the events. The Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black

On April 7, most Michigan City offices including City Hall and all non-emergency city operations will be closed to the public in observance of Good Friday. The Refuse Department will maintain normal pickup. The Transit Department will operate their normal bus schedule on Friday. The City of Michigan City is also reminding the public to attend their Children’s Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday beginning at noon sharp in Washington Park.

Severe weather this past Friday kept Liberty firefighters busy answering calls from the start of the storm to early Saturday morning, the Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department said in a news release. Warnings from the National Weather Service for a Tornado Warning were prompted for the area (Porter County) that were capable of producing a tornado. High winds expected at 65 mph had impacted much of the area with tree damage, flying debris, and power poles becoming damaged. A motorist driving along U.S. Highway 6 found themselves trapped for over an hour waiting for the power company to deactivate the

Michigan City police are investigating a shooting that occurred on Friday. At around 6:15 p.m., officers were dispatched to the intersection of Main and Elm Streets regarding a single vehicle crash. While enroute to the call, additional information was received which indicated several gunshots were heard just prior to the vehicle crashing. The first responding units arrived on scene within two minutes of the dispatch. It was determined that a 35-year-old man had been operating a vehicle East on Main Street when the vehicle left the roadway and crashed into a residence in the 200 block of Elm. The residence

The South Shore Line (SSL) announced that the Bikes on Trains program has resumed at bike stations between East Chicago and Millennium Station. “Due to ongoing long-term busing in relation to the Double Track NWI project, bikes are prohibited from boarding at the South Bend International Airport and Dune Park Station throughout the duration of busing. Bikes are permitted as regularly scheduled from East Chicago Station and west,” the South Shore Line announced. “Bike cars are bike rack-equipped in addition to regular seating so that passengers can ride in the car near their bicycles,” the SSL said. “Bike icons can

Lane closures are scheduled for U.S. 41 in Lake County. The resurfacing project is between north of Main Street and south of Hart Farm Road and is taking place on or after Monday, April 3 through mid-July. Work will be conducted using overnight lane closures between the hours of approximately 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. and daytime lane restrictions between the hours of approximately 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lane closures are scheduled for Grant Street in Lake County. The Indiana Department of Transportation announced that the street will be reduced to one lane in each direction, just south of I-94 over the Little Calumet River, on or after Monday, April 3 through late June. Lane restrictions will be in place for bridge preventative maintenance and deck overlay work.  

The Michigan City Department of Water Works will begin the semi-annual fire hydrant flushing on Monday April 10. This is done to ensure the hydrants are in proper working order for the spring and summer months, and also to find any hydrants that may have been damaged over the winter. The department says the program should take around eight weeks to complete. If anyone should experience any discoloration in their water, they should let the water run for a short time and the water will clear.

The La Porte Water Department will begin its regularly scheduled water system flushing in the coming weeks, according to Water Superintendent Tim Werner. Starting Sunday, April 9 and continuing for the next three to four weeks, crews will be out to flush fire hydrants throughout the community Sunday through Thursday between the hours of 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. “Though some may see it as a nuisance, hydrant flushing plays a crucial role in maintaining our water system,” Werner said. “This process allows us to make notes on existing infrastructure and improve the overall quality of our city’s water, and

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) says a theft ring was “dismantled” after two men were recently arrested for several thefts. Police say that beginning several weeks ago, citizens throughout northern La Porte County began to report various items of property being stolen.  As the victims continued to contact the LCSO to make incident reports to patrol deputies, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division began to investigate further.  Eventually, evidence and leads developed that linked the thefts to 29-year-old Dustin D. Bush and 50-year-old Jeffrey S. Glancy Sr. Detectives quickly worked to establish probable cause to arrest Bush and

Sheriff Ronald Heeg of the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office announced the recent hiring of three merit deputies. Deputy Joseph A. Walker, 44, began his employment with the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) on Feb. 6. He was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana and is a 1997 graduate of Southmont High School. Deputy Walker is a graduate of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy – Basic Recruit Class 14-202. He is also an Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board Certified Instructor. Deputy Walker is married, has two children, and resides in rural Scipio Township. Deputy Pablo J. Pesa, 31, began his employment