Local News

Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Broadband Office announced that the City of Gary is now designated as an official Broadband Ready Community. The Broadband Ready Communities Program was created as a tool to encourage broadband development throughout Indiana. The Broadband Ready Community certification sends a signal to the telecommunication industry that a community has taken steps to reduce barriers to broadband infrastructure investment. “It is communities like Gary that are trailblazing and making a difference within the connectivity space,” Crouch said. “The many cities, counties and towns throughout the state that are collaborating on behalf of their

There will be overnight lane closures tonight into Wednesday from approximately 7 p.m.-6 a.m. on I-94 between Burr Street and the Illinois State Line, according to INDOT. The closures will be to switch traffic back to the normal configuration as construction wraps up for the year. Work in this area on I-80/94 will continue in early Spring to finish out the contract. Construction has also wrapped up for the year on I-65 in Lake County, with contractors continuing that work next Spring as well.

The Salvation Army of Michigan City  is in need of volunteer bell ringers to stand at each of their locations. Many of the locations will remain vacant because they have no one to fill them. Go to registertoring.com and sign up for one, two hours or the whole day. The Salvation Army says for questions, call 219-874-6885 and say, "I want to volunteer to ring bells and we will make that happen."

Indiana State Police are ramping up patrols during peak Thanksgiving travel. Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. AAA is predicting 54.6 million people will be heading out for the holiday. Of those, nearly 49 million will be traveling by car, a rebound to almost pre-pandemic levels. This time of year is also associated with higher drinking rates, which combined with the sheer number of drivers on the road, makes it an especially dangerous time for motorists. To prevent crashes, the Indiana State Police Lowell Post will be ramping up enforcement as part of the Safe

A Michigan City man was sentenced to over 7 years after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Santana Miller, 37, was sentenced to 7 years and 3 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, in April 2022, Miller possessed a handgun and a rifle while in Michigan City. At that time, he was on federal supervised release for a controlled substance conviction. Miller’s criminal history revealed he has four prior felony convictions and is therefore prohibited from possessing these firearms, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In Michigan City, crews are closing 300 North Just west of 950 West from 7:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. today for water main installation. The intersection will be open to the East of 950 West and North & South of 300 North. A detour for 300 North will be set up 421 South to 200 North, East to 950 West, North to 300 North.

One person died in a two-vehicle crash Saturday afternoon on Johnson Road at County Road 500 West, according to the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office. At 4:16 p.m., an off-duty deputy, came upon a two-vehicle crash on Johnson Road at CR 500 West. The crash investigation determined a 2009 Hyundai, driven by 65-year-old Dwayne Nash of Michigan City, was traveling north on County Road 500 West.  Nash disregarded the stop sign on County Road 500 West at Johnson Road.  The vehicle traveled onto Johnson Road and collided with an eastbound vehicle. The vehicle traveling eastbound on Johnson Road, a 2021

In Valparaiso, Evans Avenue will be closed again on Monday, Nov. 21 (between Calumet Avenue and Roosevelt Road) for one final time, according to the city. This closure is for final safety and surface upgrades. Follow WIMS on Facebook for more local roadwork updates.

Citizens Concerned for the Homeless will be distributing 1,000 turkeys on Monday, Nov. 21 provided through the Food Bank of Northern Indiana. The first 500 turkeys will be distributed at Marquette Mall in Michigan City from 9-11 a.m. The second 500 will be distributed at the LaPorte County Fairgrounds in La Porte from 12:30-2 p.m. There will be one offering per household.

Deputies from the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office participated in a traffic safety project this past Tuesday along U.S. 20 in La Porte County. Deputies Alex Clemons, Jon Sikorski and Justin Gorny joined forces with law enforcement officers from the six states of Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio for the one-day project aimed at improving traffic safety along 1,300 miles of U.S. 20. Deputies worked the project during peak travel and commuter times on Tuesday. Their combined enforcement efforts produced 13 citations and 17 warnings for various traffic infractions. This was the third U.S. 20 enforcement project since

In Michigan City the intersection of 300 North and 950 West will be closed Friday, Nov. 18 from 7:00 a.m. until approximately 4:30 p.m. The intersection will be open to the East of 950 West and South of 300 North. Access to 950 West North of 300 North will be over a temporary road installed West of the intersection. A detour for 300 North will be set up 421 South to 200 North, East to 950 West, North to 300 North.

The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) has reported the first death of an Indiana resident in which monkeypox was a contributing factor. The ODOH noted that the individual had multiple other health conditions that contributed to the death. No additional information about the patient will be provided due to patient privacy laws. “Although monkeypox cases in Indiana have declined significantly as a result of the availability of vaccine, it is important to remember that this disease is still circulating and can cause severe illness and death,” said State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG. “Our hearts go out to the

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. -- Joy Elementary on Wednesday dedicated its new Multisensory Environment (MSE) room in memory of Caitlin Foreman. The school says the special room serves students with sensory needs, providing a comfortable setting to help them build self-regulation skills that contribute to their peace and success. Joy thanked the Healthcare Foundation of La Porte and the Foreman family for their support in funding equipment for the room. The school also thanked MSE experts Maurits Eijgendaal, who traveled from Denmark and Dr. Anthony McCrovitz for their guidance. Additionally Joy thanked PT Assistant Robin Krassow and OT Assistant Chris Kiser

The Michigan City Police Department is mourning the loss of former officer Ed Bohle, who passed away on Sunday. Bohle first began his law enforcement career at Long Beach Police Department in 1973 and later came to serve with the Michigan City Police Department for many years. Michigan City Police stated, “We want to thank the Bohle Family for Ed's dedicated service to the Michigan City Police Department and for serving our community. We would also like to send our deepest condolences to the Bohle family during this difficult time. Rest in peace, brother, you will be missed…”

Franciscan Health’s Northern Indiana hospitals collected more than 17,000 diapers to support families battling diaper insecurity this October during the sixth-annual Diaper Drive. Franciscan Health Michigan City, Dyer, Munster, Hammond and Crown Point collected a total of 17,296 diapers throughout Diaper Insecurity Month this October. This was the first year the Diaper Drive expanded to include other hospitals across the Franciscan Alliance system. In total, the drive collected 30,758 diapers, enough for nearly 350 families. One of the drive’s goals was to help relieve the stress and financial strain of the silent crisis of diaper insecurity for families in need

Duneland’s Hometown Holiday Celebration will take place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Event celebrations are coordinated by the Duneland Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Town of Chesterton, the Chesterton Police and Fire, Parks and Street Departments, and the Chamber organizations and volunteers. Enjoy shopping at our holiday themed Chesterton’s European Market starting at 8:00 a.m. and running until 2:00 p.m. in the Chamber parking lot at 220 Broadway in Chesterton. The Twilight Christmas Parade will step off from Chesterton Middle School at 5:15 p.m. Floats will populate this night-time parade, including all manner of lighted cars, trucks, and

The Indiana DNR is informing that applicants wanting to receive Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) grant funding can apply until Jan. 15, 2023. LARE strives to protect and enhance aquatic habitat while ensuring usage of Indiana’s publicly accessible lakes, rivers, and streams by reducing nonpoint sediment and nutrient pollution. Qualifying projects can include logjam removal, streambank stabilization, wetland creation, or more. Learn more about LARE and how to apply at bit.ly/2023lare.

The La Porte County Family YMCA is reminding its La Porte branch members that the facility will be closed this Sunday Nov. 20. They will have a brand new website coming in 2023, and the media team will be coming to film a virtual tour of the entire branch. Regular hours will resume Monday morning at 5 a.m.

This weekend kicks off the holiday season along the South Shore Line with extra eastbound service on Saturday. The South Shore Line has made their November train and ticket office schedules available in advance. See details on wimsradio.com Holiday Train Schedule Wednesday, Nov. 23: A weekday schedule will be in effect on the day before Thanksgiving. Thursday, Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving Day): A weekend/holiday schedule will be in effect in observance of Thanksgiving Day. Friday, Nov. 25 (Black Friday): A weekday schedule will be in effect on the Friday following Thanksgiving.   Extra eastbound service Saturday, Nov. 19 (Magnificent Mile Lights

The Valparaiso Police added an additional officer Wednesday with the swearing-in of James Bilder. Mayor Matt Murphy performed the ceremony within the council chamber of City Hall. Chief Jeff Balon, with numerous officers and civilian staff in attendance, joined the family of the new officer to witness the event. During the ceremony, Chief Balon welcomed the new hire into the Valparaiso Police Department family and added his remarks on how hiring new police officers has been one of his favorite assignments as Chief of Police. This will be the final swearing-in ceremony Chief Balon will oversee for the Valparaiso Police