Local News

The cadets of the Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) supported MCHS by providing the Color Guard for the basketball game against Penn and helping set up and then tear down for the MCHS wrestling tournament on December 23rd.  The military drill team was also practicing for their competition at Portage on February 26th.  This meet is a precursor to the MCJROTC Regional Championship meet on March 12th at Purdue University in West Lafayette.  The winner of that meet will compete in the MCJROTC championship in Orlando, Florida in April.  The cost of

The Town of Chesterton is sharing information that Tuesday is the start of the Street Department’s annual Christmas tree recycling program, according to Chesterton Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg. Weather permitting, crews will start collecting natural Christmas trees on Tuesday, Jan. 4. The Town of Chesterton says to leave your Christmas trees at curbside on the regular scheduled day of your refuse and recycling pickup. If a crew doesn’t collect it, call the Street Department at 926-2222. They are also reminding that all lights, ornaments, and decorations must be stripped off the tree first.  

The Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 3 is investigating an officer involved shooting involving officers from the Bradley Police Department (BPD). Bradley is located in Kankakee County, Illinois, which borders Lake and Newton counties in Indiana. On Dec. 30, at approximately 12:20 a.m., ISP DCI Zone 3 was requested to investigate the shooting of two Police Officers from the Bradley Police Department. Preliminary reports indicate that BPD officers responded to a hotel in the 1500 block of North State Highway 50 for a noise complaint. While investigating the incident, BPD officers initiated a conversation with

The LaPorte County Health Department Thursday gave a COVID-19 update.   "The FDA has issued an extension of the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) allowing the use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in individuals 5 years of age and older. The La Porte County Health Department is offering the Pfizer pediatric vaccine at our COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic located at 1007 Lincolnway, La Porte, IN. No appointment is necessary. Pfizer Boosters are now approved for teens 16-17 years old. La Porte County is again designated as RED this week. The table below shows La Porte County’s daily COVID-19 positive cases for the past 7 days. Total positive

The City of Michigan City says the fast-spreading Omicron variant along with the Delta variant are causing COVID-19 cases to surge, which has prompted Michigan City mayor Duane Parry to issue an executive order regarding City Government meetings. To help combat the spread, Mayor Parry has issued an Executive Order Thursday, which will go into effect January 4, 2022. The new order will require that all City government meetings will be held virtually as long as Governor Holcomb continues to extend his public health emergency. In addition, City Hall will be open to the public by “appointment only”. All the

The Porter County Health Department is  offering PCR testing (no vaccinations) at the Porter County Expo Center on Thursday, Dec. 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Friday, Dec. 31 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pre-registration is highly recommended. Walk-ins may experience long wait times. A link to register can be found on the Porter County Government Facebook page. 

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed two executive orders on Wednesday regarding COVID-19. The first order is a renewal of the public health emergency declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic. This renewal continues through Feb. 1, 2022. The second order is for further continuation of limited provisions to address the impact and spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The executive orders can be found here.

Wednesday, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) released the 2021 state graduation rates, with data showing 86.69% of students in the Class of 2021 graduating. This is compared to the 2020 rate of 87.69% and the 2019 rate of 87.29%.  The IDOE says these graduation rates correspond with research that shows that the academic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are substantial. According to research from IDOE and the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Inc., the academic impact ranges from moderate to significant across schools, academic subjects and demographic groups. In response, IDOE launched several accelerated learning programs,

A $20 million project to reimagine the site of the former Franciscan Health Michigan City hospital is coming to fruition as community-focused services providing care for new mothers and the elderly begin. The campus at 301 W. Homer St. has undergone partial demolition and renovation for the arrival of an inpatient behavioral health unit, the new Franciscan Senior Health and Wellness Program for the All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and the Prenatal Assistance Program. On Dec. 6, the Prenatal Assistance Program opened its doors to expectant mothers, helping them receive access to vital prenatal care. The program is part

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office has released information on a fatal crash that occurred along U.S. 20 Tuesday morning. At 11:57 AM, deputies were called to US 20 and Wilhelm Road in reference to a head-on crash.  Deputies arrived at the scene at 12:02 PM and determined one of the involved drivers was deceased. The investigation determined a 1999 Ford Crown Victoria, being driven by 22-year-old Chance M. Van Dyne of Omaha, Nebraska, was traveling eastbound on U.S. 20. The vehicle began to slide on the snow-covered roadway, left the eastbound lanes of U.S. 20 and drove left of

The LaPorte County Health Department says their COVID testing location in Michigan City has temporarily stopped taking in walk-ins due to increased demand for testing.  To schedule an appointment go to scheduling.coronavirus.in.gov . Locations and times can be seen in the photos posted to the LaPorte County Health Department Facebook page. 

The Indiana DNR is warning the public of a campsite booking scam. The DNR says campers that used a third party on social media to reserve a campsite site for the upcoming year at Spring Mill or McCormick’s Creek state parks, Trine State Recreation Area, or Morgan-Monroe or Greene-Sullivan state forests may be a victim of a potential campsite reservation scam. Indiana DNR Law Enforcement is investigating a potential scam where a third party fraudulently advertised and rented campsites to Hoosiers, who upon arrival, found their paid site unavailable. The DNR says if you believe you have been or are

Northwest Health is offering seminars in January for “those who have tried to lose weight but with little success.” The seminars will discuss weight loss surgery as well as non-surgical approaches to weight loss. There is no cost to attend. Michigan City's seminar will be Jan. 6 at 5:00 p.m. or Jan. 20, 5:00 p.m. in the main lobby at Northwest Health – Michigan City, 3777 Frontage Road. La Porte's seminar  will be Jan. 25 at 5:00 p.m. in the first floor conference room at 901 Lincolnway. Valparaiso's seminar will be Jan. 10 at 5:00 p.m. in the Community Room

One person was found dead Christmas Eve in Michigan City after police heard Friday, police say. At approximately 3:39 p.m., officers began to hear gunfire. While on their way to the area where they believed the gunfire to be coming from. The LaPorte County Regional Dispatch Center advised the officers that they were receiving reports of a gunshot victim in the area of West 11th Street and Wabash Street. Michigan City Police Officers, Indiana State Police Officers, Michigan City Firefighters and EMS all responded to the scene where they located a subject lying on the sidewalk on the west side

ITR Concession Company (ITRCC) is launching a network of smart parking signage for freight and truck drivers who depend on the Indiana Toll Road. The company says through a mix of sensors and cameras, the dynamic signage will provide commercial drivers an approximate count of the available parking spaces along the roadway, creating a safer and more efficient travel experience. The boards detail the number of available parking spaces in the three nearest facilities, allowing for on-the-fly adjustments of trip plans. The signage was deployed by eX² Technology serving as the prime contractor, who previously helped develop a high-speed fiber

The Indiana State Department of Health Strike Team will be offering COVID PCR & Antigen testing, along with vaccinations (Pfizer, Modern, J&J including first, second & booster shots) Tuesday and Wednesday from noon until 8:00 p.m. at the Porter County Expo Center: Pre-scheduling is not necessary. To find other free testing sites and to see vaccination information visit PorterCo.org .

In an update, the National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory, for Porter and Lake Counties from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday. Slippery travel conditions due to steady snow expected. The National Weather Service says to slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions for Indiana are available by calling 1-800-261-7623.