Local News

La Porte Hospital has announced its September childbirth and family care classes.   Class sizes are limited to ensure proper social distancing and masks are required. Pre-registration is required. Newborn & Infant Care Class Join our interactive class where expecting moms, dads, and their supporting friends or family can practice caring for their bundles of joy. Clinical nurse educators with La Porte Hospital’s Birthing & Family Care Center will have mannequins on hand to help review best practices for caring for babies. Topics include transition of care (skin to skin); newborn tests and procedures; newborn appearance; skin, cord, and diaper

On Saturday morning at 4:50 a.m., Trooper Beers was patrolling at the 1.3 mile-marker westbound on the Indiana Toll Road. Trooper Beers initiated a traffic stop on a silver Mistusbishi at the 1.2 mile-marker for an equipment violation. The driver of the vehicle initially refused to identify himself to Trooper Beers. He became combative when the trooper attempted to place him in custody. While attempting to subdue the suspect, Trooper Beers was bitten on his arm. Trooper Beers then discharged his taser, striking the man with no effect. A small child that had been riding in the vehicle got out

This past Thursday, LaPorte County Deputies were summoned to the intersection of CR 400 South and CR 150 West, in rural Scipio Township, for a personal injury crash. Sergeant Anthony Wallace arrived at the scene and located a semi-tractor-trailer combination and a sport utility vehicle resting off the south side of CR 400 South, just east of the aforementioned intersection. The crash investigation by deputies determined that a Freightliner semi-tractor, driven by 62 year old Lance R. Hindsley of La Porte, had been traveling east on CR 400 South.  A Chevrolet Blazer, driven by 58 year old David A. Voltz

The La Porte City Police Department will be conducting School Bus Safety patrols from August 24th through September 11th.  Officers will be working about 80 hours of extra patrols under the Stop Arm Violation Enforcement (SAVE) grant from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.  Patrols will target those drivers who pass School Buses while the Stop Arm is activated.   La Porte Police is reminding the public that school begins on August 24th and paying attention to buses and the young children riding them should be in the forefront of everyone’s mind.  For more information on Operation Pull Over, SAVE and the

A 2 year old child died Thursday afternoon and a woman was seriously injured when a fire erupted at a residence at a Northwest Indiana mobile home park, according to fire officials. Firefighters were called to the Ravinia Pines Mobile Home Community in New Chicago where "intense flames" engulfed a mobile home, according to New Chicago Fire Chief Evin Eakins. The mother was found inside a back bedroom and airlifted to the University of Chicago Medical Center.

 Garwood Orchards and MPS Egg Farms have been awarded the AgriVision Award, the highest agricultural honor from the State of Indiana. This award was presented at the Indiana Statehouse by Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Bruce Kettler. Now in it’s 14th year, the AgriVision Award is presented to businesses or organizations within the Hoosier agricultural community that are advancing the industry, whether that is by developing a new technology, working to address a worldwide issue or creating a better community. Garwood Orchards is an agritourism destination in LaPorte, Indiana where there is fun to be

The Salvation Army represented by Major Simmons, and Jessica O’Brien, awarded Janet Beutner one of their distinguished “Volunteer of the Year” awards. Promise Scholarship Program Director, Janet Beutner accepted this award for the program and all of the student volunteers who worked hard all this year supporting this amazing worthwhile organization!

Purdue University reported yesterday that 99.26 percent of students who have received results of their COVID-19 tests are virus-free. Of the 30,117 results received as of Tuesday, 223 tested positive for COVID-19, for a 0.74 percent positive rate. As part of the Protect Purdue Plan, all Purdue students are required to have a negative COVID-19 test before arrival on campus for the fall semester, or if recently tested positive, have documentation from the Protect Purdue Health Center that they have completed a 10-day isolation after the test (asymptomatic) or 10 days after symptom onset before arriving on campus.

The La Porte Police Department  announced its participation in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement mobilization. Now through Labor Day, officers will be conducting overtime patrols, seeking out drunk drivers and showing zero tolerance for anyone driving impaired. For information about the campaign and additional safety tips, please visit: www.nhtsa.gov/drivesober or to learn more about La Porte Police Department, please visit: cityoflaporte.com/137/Police

The La Porte Hospital offers a 4-Hour Childbirth Preparation Class. It should be taken at approximately 28 weeks of pregnancy.  Topics covered are: prelude to labor, labor, support techniques to assist the laboring mother, vaginal birth, medical procedures, cesarean sections, postpartum care, pain management options, newborn baby care, preparations for going home, and tour of the Birthing and Family Care Center at La Porte Hospital. Those attending are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing.  A drink and light snack is provided. You are welcome to bring a second support person. Classes are offered two Wednesdays and one Saturday per month. The

South Shore Line passengers utilizing Millennium Station in the evenings will temporarily board/detrain at the Metra Depot (Tracks 5 and 6), located northwest of the SSL platform through Thursday. During this time, work will be ongoing in the SSL depot overnight beginning at 7pm. The depot switch will not impact daytime trains, and those passengers should continue to use the SSL platform. For more information check out mysouthshoreline.com.

State Rep. Jim Pressel (R-Rolling Prairie) encourages Hoosier small-business owners and entrepreneurs to apply for a free program that provides direct technical support to help build their online presence. The Indiana Small Business Development Center launched Project HOPE and recently partnered with the Indiana University Kelley School of Business to support long-term economic recovery of Hoosier small businesses and entrepreneurs. Pressel said through the program, eligible companies may apply for no-cost assistance to help establish or increase their online presence through website development, e-commerce support, and other digital tools and services. To be eligible, Indiana small businesses must meet the

Today - Tuesday, August 18 – LaPorte County 10 a.m. – Noon CDT WHERE: LaPorte Civic Auditorium, 1001 Ridge Street, LaPorte, IN 46350 Fresh perishable items and dry goods offered free of charge. All items will be pre-boxed and pre-bagged. First come, first served, for up to 400 households while supplies last for those in need of food assistance. One per household. This will be a drive-thru distribution. Please remain in your vehicle and pop open your trunk to receive your items. An area will be available to load items if your trunk does not open.

The Michigan City Police Department has received credible information that the activities leading up to and including the shooting death of Darius Mitchell, at Garden Estates on Tuesday August 11, 2020, was captured on cell phone videos. At this time the department is offering a $1000.00 reward to anyone that comes forward with video that leads to the arrest of those involved in the shooting. This reward is being issued on a first come first serve basis.Those who have videos from this incident can contact Detective/Sergeant Anna Painter at 219-874-3221, Ext: 1077or email apainter@emichigancity.com. Calls will also be accepted utilizing

During the 2020-2021 school year, the Valparaiso Community Schools Social Services Team is able to provide food for students in need over the weekend. Food items will be provided to students on the last school day of each week to sustain the student through the weekend. If you would like your students to participate in the Backpack & Snacks Program, click on the link provided on the Valparaiso Community Schools Facebook page. Students who previously participated in the Backpacks & Snacks Program must be signed up again in order to receive food bags this school year. The 1st Backpacks &

Michigan City Area Schools wants to emphasize that all students will need reliable broadband internet access for online learning. Michigan City Area Schools is offering a limited number of personal hotspots to students who do not have Internet access. All decisions regarding the distribution of these devices will be made on a case-by-case basis. If your child does not have access to broadband Internet, fill out this form found on the Michigan City Area Schools’ Facebook page. More information about low-cost internet options for families who qualify is available on their website:( https://www.mcas.k12.in.us/Page/28320)

A guide to a Guide to MCAS Online Learning for families can be found at this link. Check WIMS FACEBOOK page for the link.

Supporting the environment and conserving energy consumption were significant considerations in the design of the new La Porte Hospital, going up at 1331 State Street in La Porte.  In fact, as a result of a deliberate and focused design process, the new hospital will be Green Globes certified. Green Globes is a building rating and certification tool that is used to rate the efficiency of buildings across the USA and Canada. Energy efficiency and a green infrastructure were applied to the civil engineering elements of the structure and to the mechanical, plumbing, and electrical infrastructures in the new hospital. A

 On August, 15th of 2020 at approximately 12:00 a.m., the Indiana State Police Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 call regarding a multi-vehicle rollover crash on I-65 southbound near the 211.5 mile-marker.  Preliminary investigation by Trooper William Stancy shows that a white 2008 Infiniti EX35 and a black 2020 Dodge Ram were both travelling southbound when for unknown reasons the driver of the Infiniti lost control of their vehicle, sideswiping the Dodge Ram.  The Infiniti then rolled several times in the left lane before coming to a rest, upright, in the median.  The Dodge also rolled several times after being sideswiped

POLICE IMPERSONATOR ALERT / INVESTIGATION The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is warning and alerting motorists of a police impersonator.  Yesterday morning (08/13/20), a female reported to Deputy Austin Epple that she had been stopped by a male subject operating what was thought to be a policevehicle while traveling along US 20.  The female advised she observed a light-colored Ford Focus or Toyota Prius traveling behind her with red and blue flashing lights.  She turned onto Range Road and stopped her vehicle.  A white male, approximately 6’0”- 6’02” tall, wearing a black T-shirt, black pants, a plain black baseball cap