Local News

News release by Healthcare Foundation of La Porte: LA PORTE -- The HFL City of La Porte Housing Initiative, which began in 2022 with a six-month in-depth housing study of the City of La Porte, continues its work with a partnership with the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture’s Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative for a downtown housing and regeneration charrette. A charrette is an intensive planning session where architects, citizens, and others collaborate to develop a design or vision for a project. HFL and the City of La Porte are welcoming a professional team from the University of

Michigan State Police are seeking help identifying a body that washed ashore in 1988. The Michigan State Police (MSP) Niles Post, in coordination with New Buffalo Police Department, are again reaching out to their southern Lake Michigan coastal partners and residents requesting assistance to help with the identification of a recovered body. Thirty-five years ago, an unidentified body washed ashore on the New Buffalo breakwater of Lake Michigan on April 8, 1988. The unidentified body was exhumed November 9, 2021, to collect a DNA sample for CODIS entry and forensic genetic genealogy. Dental records are on file for comparison to

News release by Michigan City Area Schools: The Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) recognized cadets for high achievement in a variety of categories at their Awards Night held at the school cafeteria on May 11th.  Numerous civic organizations attended to present their awards.  These included the local chapters of the Marine Corps League, Veterans of Foreign  Wars, the American Legion, Sons of the American Revolution, and Daughters of the American Revolution. Awards were presented for academic, extracurricular, community service, public affairs, and athletic achievement. One of the notable recipients was senior Tristan

Two Michigan City High School seniors with healthcare career goals recently received Franciscan Health Michigan City Medical Staff Memorial Scholarships to assist with their post-secondary educations. Adrian Huizar and Kourtney Pratt, both 18, were selected by the Franciscan Health Michigan City Medical Staff Scholarship Committee as the 2023 scholarship recipients. Huizar is enrolled in an emergency medical technician program and plans to further his education with a physician’s assistant degree at Valparaiso University. His goal is to work in a hospital emergency department. Huizar’s interest in a healthcare career was sparked by his parents’ difficulties in receiving Spanish translation services

Press release by Salvation Army of Michigan City: May 15-21 has been set aside for The Salvation Army of Michigan City as it calls Americans to “Love Beyond” MICHIGAN CITY, May 15, 2023 – In an effort to bring citizens of Michigan City together to address issues affecting their most vulnerable neighbors year-round, Mayor Duane Parry has issued a proclamation declaring May 15-21, 2023, as “Salvation Army Week.” The proclamation recognizes the ongoing efforts of the staff and volunteers of the social services organization to help those in the community who are struggling as well as the generosity of those

Volunteer while paddling for the DNR’s Paddlecraft Wildlife Index. The Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife needs volunteer paddlers to document wildlife on paddling trips from June 1 to July 31. By helping document the number of wildlife seen while floating, paddlers will help biologists estimate wildlife population changes around Indiana’s waterways. The DNR says this is a great opportunity for paddlers who enjoy watching wildlife while paddling. Sign up to volunteer at on.IN.gov/paddlecraftindex

INDIANAPOLIS- Dr. Kristina Box has notified Governor Eric J. Holcomb that she will retire as state health commissioner of the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) effective May 31. Gov. Holcomb has appointed IDOH’s chief medical officer, Dr. Lindsay Weaver, as the state health commissioner. “Dr. Box and I began discussing this inevitability nearly a year ago, and I’m so grateful she agreed to stay on to shepherd the state Department of Health’s most ambitious legislative agenda yet. I respect no one more and am so pleased she’ll get to enjoy her next chapter, which is focusing on her family.  I

School Board President for the La Porte Community School Corporation (LPCSC), Jim Arnold, has received the Distinguished governance award from the Indiana School Boards Association (ISBA), LPCSC announced in a news release. "The Exemplary Governance Awards (EGA) program celebrates school board members who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to learning and excellence in public service through their active participation in ISBA-sponsored or ISBA-recognized trainings, seminars, and conferences," LPCSC said. This year’s EGA honorees include 197 school board members across four levels of distinction-82 Commendable (Level 1) board members, 60 Advanced (Level 2) board members, 32 Distinguished (Level 3) board members,

Commissioner Haney Statement on Connie Gramarossa's Chicago Crash As I have been fielding numerous questions regarding the car crash in Chicago involving a County-owned Vehicle that was driven by Commissioner Gramarossa, I am issuing this statement to ensure the public has a better understanding of what has transpired. In the early morning hours of March 17, 2023, Commissioner Gramarossa was involved in a motor vehicle collision on the north side of Chicago. Gramarossa rear-ended a vehicle stopped at a red light causing $6,500 in damages to the victim's car and at least $18,000 in damages to a County-owned 2021 Ford

The Indiana Toll road announced the truck parking area (make-up/ break-up lot) east of the Valparaiso Toll Plaza Exit 31 will be closed on May 15 at 6:00 a.m. CT until approximately May 25. Alternative truck parking for both eastbound and westbound traffic will be at mile marker 37. Dates are subject to change.  

Having obtained a “generous” donation from the Duneland Exchange Club, six LifeVac anti-choking devices have been purchased and issued to Chesterton Police Department patrol officers. “The lifesaving devices utilize a patented one-way valve to prevent air from entering the airway and creating a suction that dislodges food or objects from the patient’s airway,” the department said on its Facebook page. LifeVac has 936 lives saved to date, according to the department.  

Michigan City Promise Scholarship deadline June 2, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. CST All applications and required forms must be submitted no later than the deadline of June 2, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. CST. The Promise Scholarship is up to $5,000 per year for an undergraduate degree or trade school. Students may apply only during their Senior year of high school. The forms and documents may be mailed, emailed, or delivered to City Hall. Students at Michigan City High School or at Marquette High School, who have parents/guardians who own or rent a home in the Civil City Limits of Michigan

A newly expanded electronic medical records tool, eCheck-In, is giving Franciscan Health patients the time-saving convenience of completing registration check-ins electronically. With eCheck-In -- part of Franciscan Health’s electronic medical records system, Epic -- patients can experience less time in the waiting room and more meaningful, productive time with medical staff and their providers. Patients will receive a text before the scheduled appointment reminding them to complete eCheck-In. With just one click, all patients, including those without a MyChart account, can use eCheck-In for their upcoming visits. “We are excited to expand the eCheck-In services to our patients,” said Annette

LAPORTE COUNTY, Ind. - Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Enneking Pressure Cleaning Inc. will have lane closures on State Road 104 between County Road S 675 E and County Line Road for approximately three weeks beginning on or after Monday, May 15. High friction surface treatment will be applied to curves on State Road 104 at County Road 525 S and Kankakee Road. Flaggers will direct traffic in the area where work is occurring. INDOT is encouraging drivers to allow extra time when driving through this area and follow traffic directions carefully. Motorists should slow down, exercise caution and drive

At Wednesday’s Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) presented a first look at the state’s ongoing work to rethink the high school experience. It included an overview of the recently completed Indiana Graduation Landscape Analysis, as well as future, collaborative work that will take place as part of this process. “As the knowledge and skills necessary to meet future economic demands continue to grow, K-12 schools across the country are faced with the same question: how do we ensure that when students graduate, they have a clear, seamless transition to employment, enrollment, or

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Rieth Riley Construction will have I-65 southbound closed between mile marker 260 and 259 during the overnight hours of approximately 8 p.m. Friday, May 12 to 5 a.m. Saturday, May 13. The ramp from I-80/94 westbound to I-65 southbound will also be closed during this timeframe. All traffic from U.S. 12/20, the Indiana Toll Road and 15th Ave will be directed to I-80/94. The detour to access I-65 southbound will be to follow I-80/94 westbound and use the ramps at State Road 53/Broadway to turn around and take eastbound I-80/94 to

A Chesterton Middle School student was struck by a train and died Tuesday evening, May 9, in what Chesterton Police Chief Tim Richardson called “a tragic accident.” Porter County Coroner Cyndi Dykes has released the name of the boy who perished Tuesday evening, May 9, at the Norfolk Southern’s grade-crossing on North 15th Street. The victim has been identified at Sylis Wilfinger, 14. “It appears that the decedent was sitting on his bicycle on downtown railroad tracks Tuesday evening waiting for one train to pass and did not hear or see a second train approaching from the opposite direction,” Dykes

PORTER COUNTY, Ind. — Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Rieth Riley Construction will begin an intersection improvement project at State Road 49 and Indian Boundary Road on or after Monday, May 15. Work will begin in the northwest and northeast quadrants of the intersection for traffic signal improvements and pavement widening, with the right turn lane from southbound State Road 49 to westbound Indian Boundary Road and the right turn lane from westbound Indian Boundary Road to northbound State Road 49 closed. During phase two, work will move to the southwest and southeast quadrants for traffic signal modifications, concrete work,

STARKE COUNTY, Ind. - Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Rieth Riley Construction will close U.S. 421 between State Road 10 and C.R. W 900 S/C.R. W 800 N on or after Monday, May 15. U.S. 421 will be closed through late May for a small structure replacement over West Arm Scholtz Ditch. INDOT says motorists should seek an alternate route. The official detour will follow State Road 14, State Road 49 and State Road 10. The start date for this closure is dependent on the reopening of a current closure on State Road 49 between State Road 14 and State

News release by La Porte County Sheriff’s Office: The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is joining agencies from across the state to urge drivers to buckle up during the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort. The national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs from May 15 to June 4, 2023.  The overtime patrols are funded by NHTSA with grants administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI). “Our goal is for seat belt use to be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers