Local News

Parents, friends, teachers, and other supporters filled the Michigan City High School auditorium on Monday, October 25, as 45 juniors and seniors were inducted into the National Honor Society. NHS President Declan Rice led the induction ceremony, which featured remarks from MCHS Co-Principal Kyle Dean, Michigan City Area Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins, and NHS sponsor Judy Kovalcik. The focus of the evening was the four qualities of NHS: scholarship, service, character, and leadership. Jocelyn Romero-Gonzales highlighted scholarship, saying, this is “an appreciation of knowledge, searching for the truth ... asking questions, not just when we don’t understand, but also when we do understand but

Although commonly thought of as a respiratory illness, COVID-19 can affect multiple organs, including the heart and vascular system, according to cardiologists with Northwest Medical Group Mild COVID-19 illness is typically recognized by upper respiratory tract symptoms, loss of taste and smell and gastrointestinal symptoms. Moderate illness occurs in about 15 percent of people who may have fever, shortness of breath, cough and lower respiratory tract infection. Severe illness occurs in about five percent of people who develop severe pneumonia, respiratory failure, sepsis and shock. “COVID-19 does cause severe illness and death in younger and otherwise healthy people; however, advanced age, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus and

Neuro Vigor, a Purdue University-affiliated biotechnology company developing drugs that neutralize reactive aldehydes, announced Tuesday (Oct. 26) a collaboration agreement with the University of Western Australia to jointly develop proprietary drugs to initially target neurodegenerative diseases and pain in spinal cord injury, or SCI. Reactive aldehydes are highly toxic molecules released by cells in response to external or internal stress and trauma. They increase significantly in inflammatory, neurotraumatic and neurodegenerative disease states, damaging tissue at the cellular and molecular levels, perpetuating a destructive cycle of inflammation and oxidative stress. “This agreement jump-starts the science and technology needed to bring relief to patients

Unity Foundation of La Porte County is pleased to recognize eleven local high school seniors as La Porte County finalists for the prestigious Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. Two of the finalists will be selected as 2022 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars. They will receive a full-tuition scholarship to pursue a baccalaureate degree at any accredited public or private Indiana college or university and an annual $900 book stipend. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program has provided approximately $5 million in tuition and book stipends to 68 La Porte County students since 1998. “Each year our review committee remarks on the high quality and extraordinary achievements

Financial aid professionals will be on site at Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) Hammond and Westville campuses to help college-bound students and their families apply for financial aid during free College Goal Sunday programs Sunday, Nov. 7 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. CST. PNW’s Hammond campus program will be hosted in the library on the second floor of the Student Union and Library Building, 2233 173rd Street, Hammond. The Westville campus program will be in Room 219 of the Technology Building, 200 Central Drive, Westville. FAFSA essential for financial aid consideration Completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Breast cancer survivor Channelle Glover describes herself as someone who is “all about fun, all about life, all about community,” and that didn’t change when she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 36. Glover, who was a guest speaker at a recent J.A.G. Program (Jobs for America’s Graduates) initiation and installment ceremony at Michigan City High School, instead said she was encouraged by her diagnosis to learn all she could as a way of overcoming the setback. The J.A.G. ceremony was held to recognize students and officers of the program, including MCHS senior Amya Higgins, who will serve as president this school year. Because

Police have announced that 2 arrests have been made involving hand-pressed fentanyl.  The LaPorte County Drug Task Force, The Fugitive Apprehension Street Team (FAST), and La Porte Street Crimes Unit made two arrests as the result of residential search warrants that were executed in the City of La Porte. Taken into custody were 20-year old Jaime Torres, and 20-year-old Pedro Burgos. Following an investigation by members of The LaPorte County Drug Task Force, search warrants were obtained for 800 block of Kingsport Ave. and 100 block of Glover Ct., homes of Jaime Torres and Pedro Burgos. As a result of

Students studying Health Sciences at the A. K. Smith Career Center in Michigan City are getting first-hand exposure to a wide variety of medical career paths, thanks to a new partnership between Franciscan Health and Michigan City Area Schools. Through the partnership, Health Science II students will visit Franciscan three days a week for six weeks during each grading period, rotating among numerous departments for observation alongside Franciscan nurses, physicians, and specialists. This experience will give them exposure to areas of the hospital such as Outpatient Surgery, Radiology, Pharmacy, Cardiac Rehab, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, Wound Care, Physical Therapy, and Pulmonary Care. 

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office has concluded the Coolspring Township death investigation that began on Oct. 19 and has been determined to be death by suicide. Deputies and investigators from the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office were summoned to a mobile home, located in Weatherstone Village in rural Coolspring Township, in reference to a report of a deceased person.  The home was located in the 3000 block of Edgebrook.  Upon entering the home deputies and paramedics from the La Porte County Emergency Medical Service located a male who was not responsive and deceased. The La Porte County Coroner’s Office

Lubeznik Center for the Arts (LCA) has received two Power for Good grants from Unity Foundation of La Porte County to help support their Student Learning Tours and Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) initiatives. Student Learning Tours bring a diverse group of nearly 1,800 students annually to LCA for educational tours and onsite artmaking. Many of the participating students have never previously visited a museum or gallery, but 85.5% express interest in visiting another cultural institution after completing the program. In the 2021-2022 school year, tours are being offered both virtually and in-person. When held virtually, a high-quality video tour with a lesson

Internationally known Project Manager Jennifer Brock is announcing her retirement after more than 21 years serving clients with sage-popovich, inc. (SPI), a Chicagoland-area aviation consulting, maintenance, and asset management firm. Her retirement date is set for November 19, 2021. Brock joined SPI in December of 2000. Since then, her role with SPI has been the nexus of numerous complex aviation goals. She is the go-to person that many aircraft owners throughout the world have relied on for their unique needs. As a project manager, Brock’s job is to manage every aspect of an aircraft, engine, or inventory project from start to finish.

INDOT has announced that the lane closures on State Road 49 north of State Road 2 in Valparaiso will remain in place through approximately July of 2022.  INDOT said during the bridge deck overlay project that was set to end this month, it was discovered that the State Road 49 bridges over Evans Ave and Grand Truck Western Railroad were “in much worse condition than originally thought.” These circumstances led to a change in the scope of the project, and INDOT will now be doing total deck replacements for both bridges. Due to the change, there was not enough time

As a high school student, Alicia Cannon never dreamed she would climb to the highest rung of the corporate ladder. But after pursuing her degree in engineering and earning her MBA, she did just that. And she’s still learning and growing. Cannon, who is Chief Executive Officer of Michigan City-based manufacturer Apex Filling Systems, delivered the keynote address during the 2021 N.E.W. (Nontraditional Employment Opportunities for Women) conference at the A. K. Smith Career Center in Michigan City. Eighth-grade girls from middle schools across LaPorte County attended the conference, which was held on October 20 and was sponsored by the