Local News

The Valparaiso Police have identified multiple suspects involved in the gunshots heard in the area of Morgan Boulevard and Elm Street during the early morning hours of February 5. Police responded to the area at around 2:15 a.m. after receiving reports of multiple loud bangs in the area.  Police located no parties in the area and no report of injuries.  Later in the day, several homes and vehicles were discovered to have had sustained damage attributed to bullets striking their exterior.  Valparaiso police continued to investigate the incident, leading to multiple suspects being charged and one arrested. Ernest Watson III,

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) is encouraging adults and juveniles to be extra cautious when communicating with those whom they recently “befriended or met” online or when using a mobile app. The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office said the following in a news release: “Recently, there has been a sharp increase in the number of citizens reporting to the agency that they have been coaxed into sending nude images of themselves to subjects they met online or through social media apps.  Communication between the local citizen and the unknown subject typically begins as being relatively normal but progresses

The Michigan City Human Rights Commission will begin accepting entries for the 2023 Hawkins-Williams Educational Scholarship Award and the 2023 Judi Huber Educational Scholarship Award on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. The winner of the Hawkins-Williams Educational Scholarship Award will receive $1,000.00 (One thousand dollars). The contest is open to any graduating high school senior attending school within the Michigan City Area Schools boundaries. The entries must include an essay related to the stated theme, a certified copy of their high school transcripts and three (3) letters of recommendation. https://www.emichigancity.com/789/Hawkins-Williams-Educational- Scholarship The Judi Huber Educational Scholarship Award is also for graduating

Katie Eaton, President of the Michigan City Chamber of Commerce, recently announced that Katelyn Swistek has started as the new marketing & events manager for the Michigan City Chamber of Commerce. Swistek comes to the Chamber as a recent graduate of Purdue University Northwest with a bachelor’s degree in marketing with internship experience at signature graphics. The Michigan City Chamber says Swistek has been a mentor for the Michigan City Youth Leadership program and enjoyed teaching the kids throughout the week-long program. In her new role, Katelyn will assist the Chamber with event planning, marketing pieces, and collaborating with committees.

News release by Franciscan Health: CROWN POINT, Indiana – Vivian Kelby has logged more than 37,500 hours volunteering at Franciscan Health Crown Point over the past 47 years. That’s the equivalent of more than four years of her life spent in service to others. The 97-year-old woman said her motivation for volunteering is simple. “I like being with other people,” Kelby said. Kelby began volunteering with Franciscan Health in 1976 at St. Anthony Home in Crown Point. “I was sewing a lot and my father-in-law said, ‘You don’t need to sit and sew all day,’” she said. “I said I

News release by Indiana DNR: An attractive but highly destructive invasive insect is making headway in Indiana, and the Department of Natural Resources seeks help in identifying the insect so that it can work to stop its spread. Called spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), the pest is a major concern across most of the United States because of its adverse effect on fruit orchards, nurseries, and the logging and wine industries. Adults and nymphs of spotted lanternfly (SLF) have piercing-sucking mouthparts and feed on the vascular tissue of leaves, young shoots, branches, and trunks of its hosts. Adults and older nymphs

The South Shore Line announces the continuation of its “Buy 1 Get 1 Free” promotion, applicable for May monthly tickets. All monthly tickets purchased for the month of May 2023 will remain valid for June 2023. Passengers purchasing a paper May monthly ticket should plan to keep that ticket and use it through June, and passengers purchasing a digital May monthly ticket via the mobile app will see a June ticket uploaded to their accounts prior to June 1. For passengers who receive tickets through an employer benefit program such as Wage Works or Commuter Benefit Solutions, these passengers should

PORTER COUNTY, Ind. – Fire crews in Liberty Township spent several hours Easter Sunday controlling a brush fire that had spread out of control leaving fire crews to hike in with water packs strapped to their backs to extinguish the fire. At around 12:45 p.m. an unattended fire had spread into the woods leaving nearby residents scrambling to find out what was on fire behind their homes. Soon after Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department was called to respond to extinguish the fire resulting in around six acres of scorched surface fuels, a mix of leaves and short brush. The fire

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – An employee of the Indiana State Prison was hospitalized after being assaulted with a steel pipe, according to the Indiana State Police. Police say preliminary investigation revealed that at around 12:30 p.m., inmates were working in the steel shop when an argument took place between an inmate and a civilian employee. The disagreement turned physical when the suspect, 39-year-old Jeremy W. Davidson, from Logansport, Indiana, struck the supervisor on the head with a steel pipe.  Police say the force of the impact caused potentially life-threatening injuries. The victim was flown to South Bend Memorial Hospital where

A Michigan City man was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. after pleading guilty to transportation of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Earl Rauschenberg, 46, was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 7 years of supervised release. "According to documents in the case, in July 2020, Rauschenberg uploaded to the internet a video depicting child pornography. A year earlier, July 2019, Rauschenberg had been released from prison following his conviction for possession of child pornography," a press release from the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of

Press release via LaPorte County Convention & Visitors Bureau: XINSURANCE and the award-winning Great Lakes Grand Prix are happy to announce the creation of a long-term partnership. An agreement has been reached that makes XINSURANCE the Title Sponsor of the Great Lakes Grand Prix Race through 2027. “Bringing XINSURANCE on board is a perfect fit!” said LaPorte County Convention and Visitor Bureau CEO Jack Arnett. “They bring so much to the partnership from an added-value marketing perspective. Even more exciting is the fact that they will also be one of 7 Class One powerboats competing in the APBA series,” said

The Hobart Police Department is participating in the DEA National Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 22, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. You may bring unwanted or expired medications to 705 E. 4th St. Hobart, IN. They are unable to collect sharps, needles, lancets, and inhalers.  For questions contact Suzanna at 219-942-1125 ext. 1070. The Hobart Police Department also gave the following information on its Facebook page: Where can you turn in the sharps, needles, lancets, and inhalers? At the 2023 Lake County Solid Waste Management District Household Hazardous Waste Collection on Saturday, May 20, 2023 9 a.m. to

A man was found dead with gunshot wounds in an East Chicago liquor store Thursday night, according to police. At around 11:33 p.m. officers responded to shots fired in the area of the 3800 block of Euclid Avenue. Shotspotter alerted to 8 rounds fired near this location. Arriving officers entered the store and located an unresponsive man lying face down on the floor. The victim suffered two gunshot wounds to the chest area and was pronounced dead on scene by responding medics. The East Chicago Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division,  Lake County Sheriff Crime Scene Division and the Lake County

The Valparaiso Police Department is continuing its active partnership with the Northwest Indiana African American Alliance by inviting a new group of 11–15-year-old students to participate in its Mentoring Program for the 2023 season. The NWIAAA will partner each student with a VPD mentor and share education and social opportunities. "The interactions will help to foster positive long-term relationships, leadership opportunities and career conversations," VPD said on its Facebook page. In an effort to share more about the Mentoring program, the NWIAAA and VPD are hosting a free Bowling Event for perspective mentees, at Inman’s Bowling Alley, 3201 Evans Ave.

The Valparaiso Police Department announced the promotion of Erik Palleson to patrol sergeant. Palleson is a 10 year veteran of law enforcement, having served in Kouts and Chesterton prior to joining VPD in 2019. He has been serving in VPD’s patrol division, also acting as a field training officer and drone operator during this time. Palleson is a 2007 graduate of Boone Grove High School and earned his associate degree from Ivy Tech Community College (2010) in Criminal Justice.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is stocking nearly 50,000 trout across the state this spring in preparation for trout fishing season. Thirty-three bodies of water across 21 counties will be stocked before opening day of trout season on Saturday, April 29. Lake stockings of rainbow trout started the week of March 20. “Anglers do not have to wait for opening day of stream trout fishing season to fish for these aggressive biters because trout fishing on lakes is open all year, the DNR said in a news release. For streams, 18,000 rainbow trout are expected to be stocked by

Press release by: La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership G.M. Fedorchak & Associates, La Porte-based architects & developers held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the East Shore Preserve Townhomes, a new residential development on McClung Road in La Porte, on April 5th at 169 McClung Road, Unit 302 from 4-5 p.m. CDT with the ribbon cutting officially taking place at 4:15 p.m. CDT followed by tours of the development. “Increasing options for residential housing continues to be a priority for our city,” said 1st Ward City Councilwoman Julie West. “The new townhomes on Fish Trap Lake are an exciting and

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