Local News

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office will be increasing patrols as part of the national “Click It or Ticket” enforcement campaign ahead of Memorial Day weekend. For the next three weeks, deputies will be out in full force making sure drivers and passengers are buckled up and children are properly secure. Their goal is to reduce the number of traffic injuries and fatalities from lack of seat belt use, a continuing concern. Data from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) shows that unbuckled motorists make up almost 40% of all passenger vehicle deaths in the state. The overtime patrols are

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) graduates should possess three key character traits — integrity, respect and courageousness — in order to be more successful in their careers and lives, keynote speaker Alfredo “Al” Sori, a 1989 PNW graduate, prescribed to the Class of 2022 on Sunday, May 15 at PNW’s spring commencement ceremony. Sori, who graduated from PNW with a bachelor’s degree in construction management, was a longtime leader and manager of large-scale construction operations and industrial engineering projects with Kiewit, Inc. He most recently served as division manager of Kiewit subsidiary Mass Electric Transportation before retiring. The university hosted an

The City of Portage on Monday gave an update to the ongoing construction at Founders Square. The city stated on their Facebook page regarding the construction that “Much of it is completing the finishing touches to the renovations at Founders Square and the creation of Founders Plaza just east of the police station.” They also said additional parking for the Founders Square area is being completed. The city went on to state, “Directly north of the police station will be a 47-car lot and on the east side of the drive into the police station (on the west side of

The South Shore Line announced Monday that in order to accommodate a scheduled rail delivery in relation to the Double Track NWI project, the South Shore Line will bus midday passengers to stations between Carroll Ave. and Gary/Chicago Airport (Clark Rd.), effective Tuesday through Thursday, May 19. The Gary busing is in addition to ongoing busing between Carroll Avenue and Dune Park stations. -Weekday westbound trains 14, 116, 18, 118, 20 -Weekday eastbound trains 7, 107, 9, 109, 11, 111 Buses will arrive and depart with passengers to match our published train schedule between Carroll Ave. and Gary/Chicago Airport. Westbound

The Town of Porter Police Department is reporting that a suspect is in custody after an armed robbery in Porter County.  Police said on Monday at around 2:30 p.m. dispatch received a 911 call about a vehicle that was stolen from a gas station in the 1400 block of West U.S. Highway 20. It was reported to dispatch that the suspect displayed a firearm. Officers from the Porter, Burns Harbor, and Chesterton Police Departments responded to the area. Officers immediately began canvassing the area for the stolen vehicle and began interviewing witnesses and victims at the scene. Officers learned that

Detectives from the Indiana State Police Lafayette Post are investigating an officer involved shooting with the assistance of detectives from the Lowell Post that occurred on Cline Ave., just north of I-80 in Lake County. A preliminary investigation revealed that just after 3:00 p.m., the Indiana State Police received a report of a possible theft that had occurred in Homewood, IL. While searching for the suspect vehicle, Porter Police Department received a 9-1-1 call that a male, later identified to be 18 year-old Rashawn Thompson, from Chicago, exited a 2010 Chevrolet Impala and stole a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu from a

The following is an update from NICTD on the South Shore Line (NICTD) Double Track NWI Project construction that is ongoing: GARY- MILLER STATION AREA All buildings have been demolished for the construction of the station and parking lots in Miller. New sewer work has begun in both the west and east parking lots. Parking is available but temporarily restricted while work near Miller Station progresses. Vehicular and pedestrian access from Melton Road (US 20) will be closed, the driveway from Old US 12/Dunes Highway will remain open. Construction activities may be taking place on the shoulder of Dunes Hwy. Upcoming

Representatives of various civic organizations attended the Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) Awards Ceremony on May 12 to present their respective awards to cadets. The ceremony was held to recognize the MCJROTC cadets for significant achievements in numerous program activities such as military drill, marksmanship, physical fitness, community service, and superior academic performance. Cadet Major Declan Rice also received an academic scholarship from the Michigan City chapter of the Marine Corps League. The following cadets were recipients of the following civic organization awards: -Daughters of the American Revolution: Cadet Corporal Alexandra Reed

A boost in the health and fitness of Franciscan Health employees is matched by a boost in the Franciscan Health Foundation’s Employee Emergency Fund, thanks to a challenge won by a team in Franciscan Health Michigan City’s Family Birth Center. Franciscan WellCare completed its 12-week Healthy You in ’22 program, with more than 400 co-workers participating. Money collected through a small entry fee helped pay for prizes for those who met their goal.  The “Womb Raiders'' team in Michigan City had the top performance based on weight loss and activity points. The team received not only a traveling trophy, but

NIPSCO is starting construction Tuesday to perform routine maintenance work near the intersection of Colorado Street and U.S. 30 in Hobart. The company says this work is part of the company’s overall plan to enhance, modernize and upgrade the natural gas system in the NIPSCO service territory to ensure customers continue to receive a safe and reliable source of energy for future years. To ensure the safety of local residents and onsite crews, maintenance work is being performed from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on a portion of U.S. 30, specifically the east and westbound lanes turning onto South Colorado

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) is celebrating Indiana EMS Week through May 21. “Indiana’s Emergency Medical Services personnel are a dedicated group of people going into scenarios where people are having the worst day of their lives. Hoosier EMS responders are trained and prepared to act quickly and professionally to help anyone in their time of need,” says IDHS Executive Director Stephen Cox. “We cannot honor these first responders enough for all they do at a moment’s notice.” Indiana EMS Week aligns with National EMS Week 2022. This year’s theme is Rising to the Challenge. This week, IDHS

The City of Portage announced Friday that Improvements are coming this summer to Hannah's Hope playground at Founders Square. The Redevelopment Commission approved a bid with Perfect Turf for $171,265 for the resurfacing of the playground. A date for the work, which will replace the present turf with one similar, has not been set.

Two bridge deck overlay projects will begin on or after Monday, May 16. U.S. 12/Columbus Drive over Kennedy Ave will be reduced to one lane in each direction through early August, and 169th Ave/15th Ave over State Road 912/Cline Ave will be reduced to one lane in each direction through mid-September. The outside right lanes will be closed in each direction during phase one, and the inside left lanes will be closed during phase two for both projects. Bridge deck overlays are preventative maintenance projects that prolong the life of the bridge.  

LaPorte County Law Enforcement hosted the 2022 LaPorte County Peace Officers Memorial Service Friday at the Holdcraft Performing Arts Center.   United States District Attorney Clifford Johnson was the keynote speaker.  The event was celebrated with families, friends, and fellow officers, honoring 15 of Line of Duty Deaths in LaPorte County.   The event kicked off Police Week 2022.   Communities across the United States will honor and remember those law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends and fellow officers they left behind. This year, the names of 619 officers killed in the line of

Students in kindergarten through 8th grade at Michigan City Area Schools recently joined thousands of students across the country to celebrate “Better World Day.” This nationwide event is part of EL Education, a curriculum for language arts used by MCAS that culminates by combining classroom lessons with real-world projects that benefit the community. “When we apply lessons learned in the classroom to actual issues in our community, our students learn that they are capable of making a difference,” said Cathy Bildhauser, MCAS Director of Curriculum. “Schools are a place for learning, but also for building active citizens with the power

Marquette Catholic High School recently announced it completed a facility upgrade, and are updating some branding initiatives, including adding a new school color. As part of perpetual upgrades to Marquette Catholic High School campus, the installation of a new sound system inside the Scholl Center was completed this past week. The enhanced equipment, which will be on display for all graduation events, has the school excited to welcome graduates and their families and friends into the Scholl Center on June 3 and 6. The School also announced that starting July 1, Marquette Catholic High School will incorporate an accent color

Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) College of Business and College of Technology hosted 12 finalists on April 30 during the 11th annual PNW Big Sell pitch competition, sponsored by the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), where the top three winners were announced. Richard Christakes was awarded first place and $10,000 for his business, Ship My Plants, which matches plant enthusiasts with the closest possible sellers based on geolocation. The business model is intended to minimize stress on plants, save shipping time and costs and reduce carbon emissions. The pair of Drew Jarvis and Cindy Belardo took home second place and

Indiana Dunes State Park will have a lunar eclipse party Sunday night at the beach pavilion. A Naturalist will be on hand for this special night program at the Indiana Dunes State Park Beach. They will have their telescopes and take a look at the changing color of the moon from the telescopes as it comes into full eclipse. Constellation talks and lunar treats will be provided. Check the park's Facebook page for cancellation due to clouds and inclement weather. Timing of the eclipse: 9:27 p.m. partial eclipse begins, 10:29 pm total eclipse begins, 11:11 p.m. is the maximum eclipse

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office announced in their newest edition of “Felon Friday” they are looking for a man who was found guilty Wednesday on four counts of child molesting.  In February of 2020, the LCSO began a sex offense investigation where 50-year-old David Powers II was identified as the accused. Later that same month, Powers was arrested for two counts of child molesting, as a level 1 felony and two counts of Child Molesting, as a level 4 felony.  On June 9, 2020, a cash bond was posted on behalf of Powers and he was released from the