Local News

Families welcoming a new baby via cesarean section are now able to have a birthing experience that more closely mirrors traditional vaginal births thanks to a new practice being offered at Franciscan Health Michigan City. “During a cesarean section, once the baby is delivered, we hand over the baby first to the nurse or the pediatrician and then a good amount of time lapses before the mother actually gets to see and hold the baby” Franciscan Physician Network OB/GYN Dr. Sharmilee Thota, MD, said. “The mother and her partner miss out on having the first glimpse of their baby, touching

Residents of Michigan City, La Porte, and surrounding communities are invited to clean out their closets for a good cause this month. Deals on Wheels (2114 Franklin Street, Michigan City) will host a “Drive-Through Shoe Drive” collection of gently worn used and new shoes on Saturday, February 18, from 9am to 12pm. Proceeds from the sale of the collected shoes will help a free community kids’ playgroup based at St. Luke United Lutheran Church in Trail Creek. The church will earn funds from the nonprofit Funds2Orgs based on the total weight of the pairs of shoes collected. Donated shoes will

A 23-year-old man faces criminal charges after leading police officers on a two-state pursuit in a stolen vehicle and crashing into two police patrol units. Shortly before 1 p.m. on Monday, January 30, 2023, a Lake County Sheriff’s Department officer observed a light blue Honda crossover SUV traveling at a high rate of speed on Broadway in Gary.  The officer ran a check of the Illinois license plate, which revealed it had been reported stolen. The officer followed the SUV as it pulled into a gas station and parked at 15th & Broadway. Officers positioned two Lake County Sheriff’s Department patrol

On January 20th, 2023, numerous staff members from the Michigan City Police Department, Michigan City Fire Department and the LaPorte County Emergency Medical Services were dispatched to 824 W 6th Street for an unresponsive three year old child. Despite the efforts of immediate family, first responders and medical professionals, the child unfortunately passed away. The Investigative Division was summoned to the scene and worked in conjunction with the LaPorte County Coroner’s Office on this matter. When tragedies like this occur, information such as the dispatch and call type are released as public record by law. Detailed information about the case

Firefighters, retirees and officials at the Indianapolis International Airport (IND) recently celebrated the arrival of two new aircraft rescue firefighting apparatus, which included ceremonial traditions practiced among firefighters dating back to the 1800s. The event demonstrated the fellowship and team connection candidates looking to serve among Indy airport first responders can expect to find.   “These are age-old traditions that signify teamwork, camaraderie, respect for the job and appreciation for the right resources to do that job,” said Chief Fred Pervine of the Indianapolis Airport Authority fire department.   The event kicked off with a wet down, a tradition of

If you saw all the Law Enforcement vehicles from multiple jurisdictions in the area of the Northern Indiana Education Foundation building this week, it was not a SWAT call or hostage situation. As a result of an Indiana Department of Mental Health and Addiction Community Catalyst grant and support from Indiana NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) and the Unity Foundation Power for Good, the first cohort of 25 participants completed the 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team C.I.T. training. These officers volunteered and became certified as C.I.T. Officers and earned 40 hours of Law Enforcement Training Board, LETB training hours. In

The City of Valparaiso and the City of Portage announced the following organizations are serving as warming centers: Valparaiso: ???????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????? (219) 462-4185 1201 Cumberland Crossing Dr. - Open Mon – Fri 5:00 am – 10:00 pm, Sat 7:00 am – 6:00 pm, Sun 11:00 am – 6:00 pm ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????, ???????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? (219) 462-0524 103 Jefferson St. - Open Mon – Thurs 9:00 am – 8:00 pm., Fri 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, Sat 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Sun 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????? (219) 548-2800 2001 Calumet Ave. - Open Mon – Fri

In recognition of National Energy Assistance Day on Wednesday, February 1, Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) is raising awareness about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and other financial support to help customers with their utility bills. Approximately $4.5 billion in LIHEAP funding was released nationally in November 2022. Of that amount, more than $94 million was allocated for eligible Indiana residents. Customers experiencing financial difficulty paying their energy bill are encouraged to find out if they qualify for LIHEAP and explore other assistance options available to meet their individual needs. “We exist to deliver safe, reliable

The Porter County Sheriff’s Police is seeking the public’s help in connection with a shooting Sunday night, Jan. 29, in South Haven, the Town of Chesterton said on its Facebook page. According to police, at 7:08 p.m. officers responded to the 700 block of Ind. 149 in Portage Township following a report of a person with a gunshot wound. Upon arrival, officers located a man who had been shot. The man was transported to hospital for treatment and his condition was not known Monday morning. An investigation is ongoing.

Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. is alerting the public about a scam where one suspect attempts to lure a homeowner outside or distract them while another suspect breaks into the home to commit a robbery. In the latest incident, Martinez says, a suspect knocked on a Lake County homeowner’s front door and told him his family had performed repairs at the property many years ago. “He asked the homeowner for permission to install a sign advertising his business on the lot,” Martinez stated. “Then, he asked the homeowner to come outside and indicate where his property line was for

A traffic stop on U.S. 31 in St. Joseph County led to the arrest of a Ft. Wayne woman and South Bend man for drug charges Sunday afternoon, according to the Indiana State Police. At around 2:00 p.m., an Indiana State Trooper stopped a Pontiac after observing a violation as the Pontiac traveled northbound on U.S. 31 near Kern Road.  While the Trooper spoke to the driver, 21-year-old Alaysha Rau of Ft. Wayne and passenger, 22 year-old Deyquawn Fitch, of South Bend, he smelled the odor of marijuana, according to police. A search of the Pontiac resulted in troopers finding

This past week, several La Porte County Sheriff’s Office deputies, along with officers from the La Porte Police Department, Michigan City Police Department, Long Beach Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff’s Department and personnel from the La Porte County E911 Center, attended and completed a 40-hour crisis intervention training (CIT) course. CIT is grant-funded and provides advanced training in dealing with individuals suffering a mental health crisis, the LCSO says. Course attendees received training from fellow law enforcement officials, community mental health providers, doctors, social workers, and interacted with individuals living with various mental health diagnoses. The goal of the grant

The DNR is hosting two virtual public meetings Monday at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. to discuss proposed spongy moth treatments. An invasive insect, Spongy moth (Lymantria dispar), causes tree defoliation and kills trees. While open to the public, meetings are geared towards proposed treatment area residents including LaPorte, Kosciusko, Fulton, Marshall and Starke counties. To get a list of times, dates and map of treatment areas, see on.IN.gov/spongymoth and click on '2023 Indiana Spongy Moth Treatment Program'.  

All first responder and law enforcement vehicles in Starke County will have picture communication boards, according to a social media statement from Starke County Sheriff Jack Rosa. Through a grant provided by the Autism Society of American and Today’s Champions, the Autism Society of Indiana purchased the boards. The communication boards will give police, fire fighters and EMS providers a way to communicate with a person who may be nonverbal, have limited English skills, have autism or other disabilities or mental health issues. All participants also received a training video on how to implement the communication board, according to Rosa.

The Michigan City Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) announced Carly Levandoski as the Ambassador of the Quarter for the Fourth Quarter of 2022. “I am honored to be the Ambassador of the Quarter!” stated Levandoski. “Whether working as an ambassador or with a client, I remember the line from Mary Poppins, ‘In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and-snap! —the job’s a game!’ I try to make work fun and get satisfaction out of helping others.” The Ambassador of the Quarter is given to an individual who has shown dedication to

The Rotary Club of Michigan City is pleased to announce it is accepting nominations for the 2022 Paul J. Alinsky Award. This award is presented in honor of Paul Alinsky, who was a past President of the Rotary Club, past Chairman of the Board for the Michigan City Chamber of Commerce, and founder of Sentinel Alarm Company. Paul passed away in 1997 and the award was created to keep his memory alive. It is presented annually to a person from the Michigan City community who exhibits dedication to community service, as well as excellence, passion and innovation in their vocation

Every year, Indiana DNR sends out the Deer Management Survey to gather observations and opinions from both deer hunters and non-hunters interested in deer management. The survey responses are used to improve deer management. The survey is scheduled to be sent out during the first week of February. The Indiana DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife said on its Facebook page the survey will be sent to all individuals who have an email address in their online license system and/or those who have checked in a deer in the past five years. Individuals who wish to receive the survey, but

Indiana Conservation Officer Trevor Bolt has been selected as the 2022 District 1 Officer of the Year. District 1 includes St. Joseph, Elkhart, Marshall, Kosciusko, Fulton, Miami, and Wabash counties. Bolt is assigned to Marshall County where he has served since 2017. In addition to his normal duties as a field officer, Bolt serves as a division defensive tactics instructor. The district award puts Bolt in the running for the Pitzer Award, which is presented to the top overall conservation officer in the state and is selected from the 10 district winners. The Pitzer Award is named after Conservation Officer

A teen from Ohio has been arrested in connection to multiple threats that were called into Valparaiso High School over the past few weeks. The Valparaiso Police Department released the following statement on its Facebook page: "Over the last few weeks, the Valparaiso community has been alerted to potential threats within Valparaiso High School, with reports of possible violence called in on January 9, 17, and 26. The threats, communicated by phone, have interrupted school days by panicking our students, staff, and parents. Although it has been difficult to read about these events or receive communication from concerned children within

More than 100 students in La Porte County Career and Technical Education programs will receive certificates for completing a course in the use of fire extinguishers thanks to lessons provided by Fire Science students at the A.K. Smith Career Center. With the help of their instructor, retired Michigan City Fire Department Captain Rob Schaffer, the Fire Science students created a presentation and demonstration for the proper use of fire extinguishers and invited all of the career tech classes to attend a session. This included a hands-on experience using a fire extinguisher – and in most cases, it was their first