Local News

Beechwood Golf Course is set to reopen May 1, according to City of La Porte Park Superintendent Mark Schreiber. Despite golf courses having the ability to remain open under Governor Eric Holcomb’s stay-at-home order, Schreiber said Beechwood closed April 4 out of an abundance of caution. He said as the weather warms up and the state’s economy gradually begins to reopen, golfers have the all-clear to head to the course as long as they take the necessary safety precautions. “During the stay-at-home order, we needed to prioritize the community’s health, and the health of our employees,” Schreiber said. “We now

South Shore Maker Faire 2020 CANCELLED With events across the nation being canceled or postponed this summer, local partners pulling support, and the understanding that it is the correct response to keep our community, families, and volunteers safe and healthy, we are canceling this year's Maker Faire due to the CoVid virus. We are committed to making this an annual premiere event in La Porte County for our region. As soon as we can, we will start planning for the 2021 Maker Faire! Please be on the lookout for next year's information and continue being Maker Leaders of our community. Best wishes

The Indiana Sheriffs’ Association announces a decision has been made to cancel this year’s ISA Youth Leadership Camps for 2020.  With the recent COVID-19 Emergency we feel this is the best decision for all.  This would have been the ISA’s 41st year to facilitate the ISA Youth Leadership Camps.   The Indiana Sheriffs Youth Leadership Camp, founded in 1979, was established by sheriffs in order to aid and enhance the development of the state’s youth. Originally called the Indiana Sheriffs Career Camp, the camp’s name was changed in 2003 to go along with a new curriculum. The program is designed to

DNR fisheries staff have been busy in recent days stocking thousands of trout in preparation for the opening of inland stream trout season this Saturday at 6 a.m. local time.By opening day, DNR will have stocked over 23,000 rainbow trout in 17 streams in 12 different counties. To find a stocked stream near you, see the 2020 Trout Stocking Plan at wildlife.IN.gov/5457.htm.

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 394 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at ISDH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and private laboratories. That brings to 12,438 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total. The new cases and new tests reported today are lower than expected due to a technology issue and should not be interpreted as a decline in new infections. The additional positive cases not included in today’s report will be captured in the coming days

Send notes, cards and drawings for posting on hospital Gratitude WallsRight now, hospital employees are working harder than ever before. Whether it’s doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, housekeeping, supply chain or dietary, teams of dedicated individuals are working around the clock and doing their part to save lives.At the same time, Franciscan Health has been blessed by an outpouring of support, from children’s drawings to donations of needed equipment and parades of first responders. These simple gestures confirm something we’ve long known: Public health is truly a partnership between the community and the healthcare facilities that serve them.Now, that partnership is

Mayor Tom Dermody thanks local business Kendall Electric for their donation of 90 face shields on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, in La Porte. The company assembled the shields to help protect local healthcare professionals and other essential frontline workers during the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured from left to right: Linsey Shafer, Jack Carter, Dawn Nepsha, Patrick Cantanzarite and Dermody

AN EXPLANATION OF GOVERNOR HOLCOMB’S RECENT EXECUTIVE ORDER Mayor Parry would like to clear up any confusion on the latest Governor’s Executive Order issued on 4-20-20. This Order is in effect through 11:59pm on May 1st. The Mayor’s Order which was recently approved and extended by our City Council, is in effect until 11:59pm on May 6th. As the law allows, City government is allowed to make the Governor’s Order stronger yet not weaker. For example, we presently have a curfew in Michigan City from 10:00pm to 5:00am,where this is not a County-wide or State-wide order.The Governor has relaxed a

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 431 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at ISDH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and private laboratories. That brings to 12,097 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total. The new cases and new tests reported today are lower than expected due to a technology issue and should not be interpreted as a decline in new infections. The additional positive cases not included in today’s report will be captured in the coming days and

Indiana Toll Road Concession Company, the operator of the Indiana Toll Road, is establishing the Indiana Toll Road – School Food Relief Fund, a $100,000 grant to help offset the costs of school backpack food programs.In Indiana, over 47% of students receive their meals for free or at a reduced price through the National School Lunch Program. Many schools engage in a weekend food distribution, commonly referred to as “Backpack & Snacks” programs. This Food Relief Fund will directly support those students who may be going without food on weekends during the COVID-19 crisis.Each chosen district or organization will receive

Yesterday, Governor Holcomb issued a revised Stay At Home order that lasts through May 1st and is designed to limit interactions among Hoosiers to increase containment of COVID-19. As a part of this action, Gov. Holcomb also extended through May 1st the orders that limit in-person public activity at state government offices and put restrictions on the operation of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. The Critical Industries Hotline continues to be available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday to respond to business and industry questions about whether a business is considered essential. The center may be reached

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office announces the arrest of 66 year old Danial Andrews of rural Kankakee Township.On April 1st, Deputy William Masterson was dispatched to a residence located in the 2800 North block of Abraham Court to assist an employee from the Indiana Department of Child Services with a welfare check. While on scene, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division were contacted for further assistance. Detective Gabe Struss was assigned the incident for further investigation.On April 13th, Detective Struss conferred with La Porte County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Julianne Havens regarding the findings of the investigation. On April 16th,

The Michigan City Police are warning the community of a new version of an old scam that has resurfaced. The scam involves you receiving a test message, commonly from a number you do not recognize, indicating that you did not open your door when a $1,000 Walmartgift card was delivered to your residence.The text includes a link which states, “Claim it now”. MCPD is advising please do not click on the link! The link will either direct you to a site in order to put in your personal and/or financial information, or the link can allow malware to be installed

The Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) is making it easy. If you missed the Virtual Career Fairs last week, there are three more this week. And since it is 'virtual' you can attend from the comfort of your home through an internet connection. Be sure to share this with friends or family who may be looking for a new career. This week's Virtual Career Fairs feature opportunities in central and northwest Indiana with a number of different positions available. The Virtual Career Fair is hosted through Microsoft Teams. If you don't already have Microsoft Teams on your computer, click here

The Michigan Department of Transportation will be completing the resurfacing of more than 2 miles of I-94 from the Michigan/Indiana state line to M-239. This is a carry-over project from 2019. The $9.5 million investment includes guardrail, culvert repair and replacement, and reconstruction under bridges. Completion of project should be June 5th, 2020.

As the COVID-19 crisis has impacted the regional and national economies, Purdue University Northwest (PNW) friend Robert Milos has stepped in once again to support nursing students who face sudden financial uncertainty that may delay or interrupt their academic pursuits. Strengthened by a family legacy of dedication to health care in Northwest Indiana, Milos has continued to support the PNW College of Nursing and its students as a way to “pay it forward.” Milos recently made a gift of $50,000 to the College of Nursing. A portion of the donation will go toward the Robert Winston Milos Endowment, a fund

U.S. Reps. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) recently introduced the Medical Supplies for Pandemics Act of 2020, which would strengthen the Strategic National Stockpile to improve the federal ability to respond to future disasters and pandemics. These include enhancing medical supply chain elasticity, improving the domestic production of personal protective equipment, and partnering with industry to refresh and replenish existing stocks of medical supplies. The Medical Supplies for Pandemics Act of 2020 would authorize $500 million annually through fiscal year 2023 to implement a supply chain flexibility manufacturing program to: -create incentives for the domestic manufacturer of medical

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) announced it will host free COVID-19 drive-thru testing clinics from Monday through Friday in Allen, Clark, Decatur and Lake counties. The clinics will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, or until testing supplies run out. They are open to symptomatic healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers. Testing also is available to symptomatic individuals who live with one of these workers , as well as to people who have symptoms of COVID-19 and underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk, such as obesity, high blood pressure or diabetes.

Indiana banks have been working with small businesses to help them access Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans backed by the Small Business Administration. As of April 16th Indiana banks assisted in completing 35,990 PPP loans totaling $7,491,445,351 in approved dollars. PPP loans allow small businesses to meet payroll, avoiding layoffs and saving jobs.The SBA report also indicates that, as of April 16, nationwide 4,975 lenders worked with small businesses to complete applications for 1,661,367 loans approved, totaling $342,277,999,103 gross dollars. Additional data in the report indicates state-by-state breakdown of PPP loans, loan size categories, and loans to industry by NAICS

PORTAGE- Friday afternoon at approximately 4:53 p.m., Troopers were called to investigate a single vehicle crash on I-94 at the 20.2 mile-marker.  Preliminary investigation by Trooper Zachary Huston shows that a red 2001 Nissan Pathfinder was eastbound in the right lane when the vehicle drove off the roadway and into the south ditch.  The Nissan struck a tree head-on before coming to a rest.  A passenger in the vehicle suffered severe injuries and was flown from the scene to the University of Chicago Hospital.  The driver, identified as Nathan W. Darling, 31, of Michigan City, IN, was transported to Porter Hospital