Local News

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

A portion of U.S. 12 is closed in the Michigan City / Town of Pines area between Beverly Drive and Woodlawn Avenue for approximately two weeks for the South Shore Double Track project. NICTD will be rebuilding their at grade crossing in this location and constructing a second crossing. Official detour follows State Road. 520, U.S. 20, and State Road 212.

The Following information was shared by the Indiana State Police about the Cops Cycling for Survivors 21st Anniversary Ride: Cops Cycling for Survivors announced plans for their 21st annual bicycle tour of Indiana as well as unveiled the memorial photos on their support truck in anticipation of National Police Week. The group, whose aim is to raise awareness of and actively support survivors of Indiana law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, will bike nearly 1,000 miles over 13 days in July to honor fallen law enforcement officers and their survivors. This year, special recognition is given to

An intoxicated man was arrested in Michigan City on Thursday after refusing to exit a closed hotel swimming pool. At around 2:30 a.m., a La Porte County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the Quality Inn on North Frontage Road regarding a belligerent intoxicated guest who was refusing to exit the hotel’s closed swimming pool. Another deputy arrived and located the man, later identified as 39-year-old Rodrigo J. Coxcahua, still in the pool. Coxcahua was barely conscious and fully clothed, police said. He was holding onto the steps for support and had previously thrown a chair into the pool. Two deputies had

Portage City Hall is open for business, the city said Wednesday. City offices are no longer working from Woodland Park and city meetings are also being scheduled back at City Hall. For now, the city knows the Board of Zoning Appeals on May 23 as well as the Redevelopment Commission on May 26 will be held in the new council chambers at City Hall. The Board of Works will hold its May 24 meeting at Woodland Park before transitioning to City Hall.

A bridge painting project is causing lane shifts and overnight lane closures on I-94 between U.S. 20 and State Road 49 in Lake County. Work is in the eastbound direction, with lanes shifting toward the median and three lanes are open to traffic through the work zone. When eastbound is complete, work will flip to the westbound side with lane shifts and three lanes open through the work zone. Each direction will take approximately three weeks to complete, and work will wrap up in late June. Overnight lane closures will be utilized to set up, modify and remove the lane

NIPSCO announced the recipients of its annual 2022 Luminary Awards, an annual program recognizing leaders and organizations for their outstanding commitment to strengthening local communities. The Luminary Awards were created in 2012 in celebration of the utility’s 100-year anniversary to honor individuals or organizations that have displayed leadership in the areas of: Community Leadership, Economic Development, Education, Environmental Stewardship, Public Safety and Local Government Excellence. The 2022 recipients are: • Community Leadership – Dave Ryan, Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce • Economic Development – Heather Ennis, NWI Forum • Education – Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Campus • Environmental Stewardship –

A man was arrested outside of the La Porte County Jail Tuesday night after demanding to be arrested. Deputy Derrick Deck was called to the area of the La Porte County Jail (LCJ) just before 11:30 p.m., for a disturbance. Police say the man had been pounding on doors and demanded that he be arrested on an active warrant. Deputy Deck arrived and located two jail deputies near a shirtless man in an area between the LCJ and the La Porte County Courthouse. The subject was identified as 33 year old Glynn E. Anderson Jr. While attempting to confirm whether Anderson

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) has been selected to host a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence for the 2022 summer and fall semesters. Mashrur Shahid Hossain, professor of English at Jahangirnagar University (JU) in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, will teach classes, give scholarly and informational presentations and advise faculty on developing the curriculum in his areas of expertise.  “Fulbright scholars are highly respected specialists in their fields and earning a Fulbright grant is an extraordinary honor that recognizes the scholar's preeminence and influence in their discipline,” says Colette Morrow, professor of English and director of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at PNW. “Serving as the

La Porte Community School Corporation (LPCSC) announced Tuesday that it has partnered with Lumin- Air to install MERV- 13 equivalent filters and UV-C in the district’s school buses in an effort to improve air quality. The system will clean recirculated air, remove airborne contaminants, and maintain the safety of students and bus drivers. The Lumin-Air solution includes MERV-13 equivalent filtration and UV-C lights in an enclosure, which cleans and filters recirculated air throughout an occupied bus. It does not put ions, hydroxyl radicals, gases or harmful chemicals that claim to kill virus or bacteria cells into the air that people

Through a grant provided by the Autism Society of America and private donations, the Autism Society of Indiana purchased Emergency Communication Boards to assist deputies of the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office. The communication boards, low-tech and quickly accessible, will be used to enhance communication during unfamiliar and frightening situations for a person who may have communication challenges or are on the autism spectrum, the sheriff's office announced Monday. The picture icons and QWERTY board will provide a means for a person to communicate their wants and needs to a deputy. For more information or to inquire about the communication