Local News

Grants from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) to the Franciscan Health Foundation totaling $432,433 will enable Franciscan Health hospitals to continue their work to assist victims of domestic violence through the Centers of Hope. ICJI is supporting Franciscan Health’s Centers of Hope with three awards through their Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding. These grants will help fund SANEs (sexual assault nurse examiners) nurses. The aim of the Centers of Hope is to create a safe environment for victims of violence, sexual abuse and trauma. The need for such services is urgent in Indiana, with the latest available data

Thursday, Governor Holcomb announced that the State of Indiana, Indiana Sports Corp, and the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority (SSCVA) collaborated to relocate the men’s Ukrainian Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Team to Indiana to serve as its training location this summer. “We are so happy to play our small part in providing these world-class athletes with refuge to continue their training in such a fantastic facility,” said Gov. Holcomb. “This confirms what we have known all along – that our strongest state export has, and always will be, our Hoosier Hospitality.” The team traveled to Hammond on Thursday where they

CHESTERTON– The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD), operator of the South Shore Line railroad, will temporarily close the Calumet Trail in both directions in the immediate vicinity of Dune Park Station in Chesterton beginning on July 25 for a duration of 28 days. The expected reopening date is Monday, August 22. This work is required to add the new second train track, a wall, and reconstruct this segment of the Calumet Trail in a slightly modified location as part of NICTD’s Double Track Northwest Indiana Project. The trail closure will also close the trail connection across NICTD’s tracks just

Franciscan Health has announced that grants from the Indiana State Department of Health (IDOH) totaling over $788,000 will enable them to continue its work to address health issues and challenges faced in the communities it serves. Franciscan Health is one of more than 150 entities to receive funding for the Health Issues and Challenges program, which focuses on tobacco use, food insecurity/obesity, lead exposure, hepatitis C, chronic disease, public health prevention programs, and substance use disorder and community health workers. Priority was given to applicants that demonstrated high need and high impact in their grant proposals. “Franciscan Health is privileged

The Tobacco Education and Prevention Coalition for Porter County (TEPC) recently held a volunteer appreciation event to thank their volunteers and community partners for all that they have done to provide smoke free air and to end smoking and vaping in Porter County. Valparaiso Police Department’s Captain Joe Hall, Chair of the executive committee of the coalition, recognized the dedicated volunteers by presenting them with awards. Many of the volunteers are involved in healthcare and behavioral health as the issue is constantly presenting itself in their fields. Donna Golob, Executive Director of A Positive Approach to Teen Health (PATH), along

The Leadership Institute at Purdue University Northwest (PNW) congratulated 27 local business professionals on their completion of the 2021-22 Leadership Northwest Indiana (LNI) program. LNI is the premier professional leadership program in Northwest Indiana, offered annually by professors and staff at the Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest. It is a highly sought-after professional development program that offers a deep dive into the fundamentals of leadership in multiple domains — work, community and personal life. “One of the most rewarding aspects about being part of this LNI program is being part of a larger group of business professionals in this area,

The Alzheimer’s Association Greater Indiana Chapter is offering a new caregiver support group in Michigan City. The support group will meet the last Thursday of each month beginning in July at 1:00 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church on 1237 E. Coolspring Ave. Additional support groups are already offered in Dyer and Porter County. “When the pandemic began, we had to switch to a virtual format for all of our programs, including support groups,” said Julie Collins, Northwest Indiana program manager, Alzheimer’s Association Greater Indiana Chapter. “Now that we are back to offering in-person programs, we’re excited to add another caregiver

In just a year since Franciscan Health’s Family Birth Centers introduced their patients to the YoMingo pregnancy app, about 1,100 new moms and moms-to-be have benefited from the free online tool’s information and support. YoMingo is a free parent education program available through a smartphone app and website. The medically accurate content covers pregnancy, labor and birth, postpartum, breastfeeding and newborn care, while tools include a contraction timer, kick counter, feeding log, diaper log, journal and more. “The app is something that our patients, especially this tech-savvy generation, want. It’s information at their fingertips, and we’re happy to provide that,”

The 4th of July festivities in La Porte brought thousands of spectators for the annual parade. La Porte was the Capital for the day as familes and floats lined Lincolway in downtwon La Porte. Starting out the race as always was the Run for Riley with the La Porte Kiwana's as well. To check out Parade video, pictures and so much more go to the WIMS FACEBOOK page.

Michigan City Fire Department was dispatched to a possible structure fire of an apartment on the 400 block of East 7th street on Monday July 4th.  Crews were met with light smoke on arrival. They evacuated neighboring units while simultaneously locating and extinguishing the fire. Check out WIMS FACEBOOK for more pictures.

Be advised there is A HEAT ADVISORY which remains in effect from 12pm today until 9pm this evening. Check on the elderly, be careful with your animals, and notify those with breathing eiisues. Heat Index values could reach 105 degrees and above. Be careful with your humidity as well. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous

On Sunday July 3rd at 6:44 Michigan City Fire Michigan City Fire Department was dispatched for multiple drownings at Washington Park Beach. On arrival, one victim was out of the water and being cared for by La Porte County Emergency Medical Service. Multiple fire crews entered the water in search of a second victim. The 2nd victim was quickly located at the bottom of the lake. MCFD Dive team member Kyle Gish went down and retrieved this victim then proceeded to pass her off to the secondary rescuer Joshua Allen. Josh, who was connected to water rescue rope, gave two

NIPSCO, part of NiSource Inc., one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States, is announcing the launch of chatbots and live chat technologies. The chatbots and live chat are now available on the NIPSCO.com website and via its mobile app. NIPSCO says that customers have told NIPSCO they want more convenient ways to get answers to their questions without having to call the call centers. “Chatbots and live chat allow customers to get immediate answers to key questions, including enrolling in payment plans, viewing their usage, reporting an electric outage, finding payment locations, understanding bill charges and

Franciscan Health Crown Point has received three American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital. Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest evidence- and research-based guidelines. As a participant in the Get With The Guidelines program, Franciscan Health Crown Point qualified for the awards by

State health officials are urging Indiana residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites following the detection of the first West Nile virus case of 2022 in a Lake County resident.   West Nile virus has also been detected in a sample of mosquitoes collected from Steuben County. The Indiana Department of Health expects to continue to see additional West Nile virus activity as the mosquito season progresses. The Indiana Department of Health says that residents across the state should take precautions to reduce their risk of exposure. Even a container as small as a bottle cap can become a mosquito breeding

The Washington Park Zoo in Michigan City announced Thursday that they had put down their 13-year-old Llama named Nitro. The Zoo said on their Facebook, “By far, the most difficult part of being an animal care specialist is providing end-of-life care. Today was no exception when the Washington Park Zoo lost our beloved Llama, Nitro. Nitro had been ill and under veterinary care since June 19th. “Nitro first seemed to have a mild lameness in mid-June and later showed a decrease in activity and appetite. Despite the week of supportive care and medications, his health continued to fail to the

A Munster police officer was injured in a two vehicle crash Thursday evening. Just before 9 p.m., a vehicle crash occurred at the intersection of Ridge Road and Beech Avenue in Munster. The crash involved a Munster Police Department Ford Explorer being driven by Officer Bradley Riemerts and a 2019 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck. The crash resulted in serious injuries to Officer Riemerts. Troopers from the Indiana State Police Lowell Post responded to the scene and handled the crash investigation at the request of the Munster Police Department. Preliminary investigation found that Riemerts, was traveling west on Ridge Road and

The Michigan City Police Department is reminding residents to use diligence when selecting a company for home improvements. The department said in a Facebook post that it was recently made aware of a heating and air conditioning company displaying signage and advertising for expert and cost-effective repairs on A/C units. Police said the company has apparently made appointments and sent service technicians to evaluate and diagnose these A/C units. The technicians would advise homeowners that their units were going to fail soon, or that the entire unit would need to be replaced. Police said this company offered quotes to repair/replace

The Indiana Division of Fish & Wildlife has completed its spring trout and salmon stockings in Lake Michigan and tributaries, the Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday. Locations stocked include the East Chicago Marina, East Branch of the Little Calumet River, Salt Creek, Trail Creek, and the St. Joseph River. A total of 40,000 brown trout fingerlings, 77,765 Coho salmon yearlings, 194,836 Skamania steelhead yearlings, 40,943 winter run steelhead yearlings, and 224,753 Chinook salmon fingerlings were among the stocked fish. Although spring stockings are complete, fall stockings are also planned. Coho salmon fingerlings are scheduled to be stocked during October