Local News

When Tom Swedenberg learned he was pre-diabetic, he wanted to be proactive, not only for himself, but for his family. The 62-year-old Michigan City man and his high school sweetheart recently celebrated 43 years of marriage and have two grown children. When his doctor told him he needed to lose weight and eat healthier, Swedenberg, a registered nurse in the cardiac catheterization lab at Franciscan Health Michigan City, decided to enroll in the year-long Franciscan Health Diabetes Prevention Program. “I had started to drop weight but wanted to do better, so I thought, why not try this?” Swedenberg said. Franciscan

The La Porte County Rural Broadband Task Force (LPCRBBTF) has hosted its first community workshop to discuss the state of broadband within La Porte County. “When I selected this powerful Blue-Ribbon Committee of community experts and innovative thinkers, I knew we would benefit most from having these key people at the table to make big things happen for LaPorte County. The leaders you see on this Task Force deserve our gratitude because they have volunteered their time, and their expertise to help our county tackle the enormous and complex issue of much-needed broadband expansion,” stated Sheila Matias, LaPorte County Commission

The Michigan City Fire Department says it responded to two fires early Sunday. At around 3:30 a.m. firefighters  responded to a structure fire on Ohio Street. At 3:47 a.m., while crews were still extinguishing the fire on Ohio Street, MCFD was dispatched out for another structure fire on East Homer Street.  The fires are under investigation.

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is reminding the public that fall harvest is in full swing and motorists are very likely to encounter large and wide farm equipment on roadways. They advised the public to reduce their speed, be patient, not to tailgate and use caution when passing. They stated on their Facebook page, "The LCSO wishes all of our agricultural friends and families a very safe and plentiful harvest."

Starke County Sheriff’s Office K9 Cody will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The program is open to U.S. dogs that are at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired

The Indiana State Police Lowell District announced Trooper Justin A. Hansen to the rank of Sergeant in the Laboratory Division. Sgt. Hansen will serve as a Crime Scene Investigator (C.S.I.) in the Lowell District. Hansen earned this promotion through written testing and a competitive interview process. Hansen is a native of Valparaiso, IN, graduating from Boone Grove High School in 2009 before joining the Indiana National Guard. In 2013, he was selected to attend and graduated from the 73rd Indiana State Police Recruit Academy located in Plainfield. After graduating, Hansen was assigned to the Lowell Post.  In 2019, Hansen received

INDIANAPOLIS —The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) is making $7.5 million in grants available as part of a second round of funding through the Health Issues and Challenges Grant program, which was established by the Indiana General Assembly in 2021 with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. Entities are eligible to apply for funding for programs to help improve health outcomes related to one or more of the following priority areas: tobacco cessation, food insecurity/obesity, lead exposure, chronic disease and public health prevention programs, including community paramedicine and community health workers. Priority will be given to organizations that can

The DNR is stocking channel catfish at several locations this fall. The DNR says it will stock 147 locations with approximately 63,742. To provide additional angling opportunities, the DNR annually stocks channel catfish statewide in publicly accessible waters. All locations should be stocked by the end of October or early November. The channel catfish range in size from 8-10 inches. Once stocked, these fish acclimate to their new environment quickly and don’t take long to start biting. Anglers are encouraged to harvest the catfish, as they make great table fare. Anglers interested in harvesting channel catfish need to follow bag

The City of La Porte Fire Department will kick off Fire Prevention Week with its annual open house this Saturday. According to Assistant Fire Chief Kelly Burke, the open house event is an opportunity for the public to meet their local firefighters and learn about fire prevention and safety. He said this is especially important as Fire Prevention Week begins on Sunday, Oct. 9. "Our department open house is a great way for our residents to get to know us a little bit better and understand more about what we do," Burke said. "The topic of fire prevention and safety

INDIANAPOLIS — State public health and animal health officials are urging northern Indiana residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites and to monitor their horses for illness in response to the detection of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus activity in multiple northern Indiana counties. “EEE (‘triple E’) virus is a serious threat to both horses and people in northern Indiana,” said Dr. Bret Marsh, DVM, state veterinarian at the Indiana State Board of Animal Health. “While this risk is currently decreasing due to cooler weather, it will persist until the first hard freeze of the year.” As of October 4,

The City of Valparaiso has announced temporary roundabout restrictions starting next week. Portions of the roundabout at Vale Park Road and State Road 49 will be closed next week to allow for stormwater upgrades and road resurfacing. “This is a well-traveled roadway, and the necessary maintenance will address historical drainage issues and result in a smoother roadway surface for the long term,” said Valparaiso’s Engineering Director Mike Jabo. The closure will begin On Monday at 9:00 am and is anticipated to reopen by Friday, Oct. 14 at 4:00 pm, weather permitting. Once complete, the project will improve roadway drainage, prolonging

The Indiana Department of Transportation announced on-ramp closures that will take place next week on I-80/94 in Lake County. The eastbound on-ramps to the interstate will close at Calumet Avenue, Indianapolis Boulevard and Kennedy Avenue. Work is scheduled to start on Oct. 10 and last until Oct. 16. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change. During the closures, drivers needing to access eastbound I-80/94 will need to seek another route. An additional travel lane of eastbound I-80/94 will be closed during this time period as well. INDOT encourages drivers to consider worker safety by slowing down, using

To show appreciation for personnel who work to keep us safe and healthy, South Shore Line (SSL) is inviting all doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, other medical personnel, and law enforcement to ride free Oct. 17-23. To ride free, medical and law enforcement personnel must only present a valid work ID to SSL train personnel that shows they are employed at a hospital, doctor’s office, medical facility, fire department, police station, prison, or aforementioned related agency. Law enforcement encompasses police officers, correctional officers, TSA agents, and other security personnel. As a reminder, long-term busing is in effect for passengers between

Several fire area fire departments responded to a building fire early Wednesday, on Brighton Street in La Porte, according to several video updates from Mayor Tom Dermody. Mayor Dermody said the building was the old American Rubber plant. Fire Chief Andy Snyder said the fire came in at about 12:30 a.m. Firefighters worked on the fire overnight into Wednesday morning. Synder said there were multiple collapses and the building was storing hand sanitizers. As of Wednesday afternoon some parts of the building were still burning in isolated areas and firefighters continued fighting the blaze. Chief Snyder said Wednesday afternoon of

A Statewide Silver Alert has been declared. The South Bend Police Department is investigating the disappearance of 28-year-old Stefan Thurmand. Thurman is described as a black male, 6 feet tall, weighing 175 pounds, and has black hair with brown eyes. Thurmand is missing from South Bend and was last seen on Thursday, September 22, 2022, at 3:45 pm. He is believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical assistance.  If you have any information on Stefan Thurmand, contact the South Bend Police Department at 574-235-9201 or 911. Check the Indiana State Police - Public Information Office and South

Two Michigan City High School Students were arrested on Wednesday after an alleged bomb threat prank was posted to social media. Wednesday morning, a 14-year-old student and 15-year-old posted to social media and created a scare at Michigan City High School. School Resource Officer Sgt. Steve Forker worked quickly and efficiently with the Michigan City Area Schools administration to make an arrest for intimidation against both suspects. Police said that because of the nature of the hoax, a bomb threat, the matter had to be taken seriously. The Michigan City Police Department “wanted to assure the public that threats of

The City of New Buffalo will hold a ribbon-cutting event for the community’s new dune walk on Oct. 8 at 11:00 a.m.  The project was managed by Abonmarche Consultants and made possible through funding commitments from the City of New Buffalo, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and The Pokagon Fund. The City of New Buffalo says the original Dune Walk had become unsafe and in 2018 they began the process of planning, funding, designing and construction of a new Dune Walk.  Cider and donuts will be served after the ribbon cutting and people will be able to explore the

An arrest has been made in connection to an officer involved shooting that occurred in South Bend last Thursday. Indiana State Police say a warrant was served by the Indiana State Police E.R.T. at 4540 Hickory Road Apartment 3C in Mishawaka at around 7:12 p.m. Tuesday evening. As a result of the warrant, 20-year-old Ian Steven McDonald Austin of South Bend was arrested for attempted murder. According to police, an Indiana State Excise Officer had been in the area working a special detail around local convenience stores when he began to follow a vehicle northeast on Rockne Drive. Near the

In recognition of the 7th annual National Energy Efficiency Day (#EEDay2022) on Wednesday, Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) is joining regional and national organizations, businesses, utilities, universities, and individuals in promoting energy efficiency to the public and its customers – "the most immediate affordable way to meet our energy needs, save on energy bills, and reduce their carbon footprint." NIPSCO says it is “proud to have made significant, forward-thinking investments in energy savings with the NIPSCO Energy Efficiency Programs that provide incentive opportunities to both residential and business customers looking to save energy.” The company went on to say,

Two people are dead after a crash on U.S. 30 in La Porte County. At 7:49 a.m., deputies were summoned to the 6300 west block of US 30 for a crash involving a semi and a passenger vehicle. Starke County EMS personnel arrived and advised that two occupants of the passenger vehicle were deceased. The initial crash investigation completed by deputies determined a 2019 Mack semi-tractor was pulling a 2015 Hyundai trailer. The truck had just exited the Plaza 30 Truck Stop and was beginning to travel eastbound on US 30. While doing so, the trailer separated from the semi-tractor