Local News

NEWTON AND JASPER COUNTIES, Ind. - An Indiana Department of Transportation contractor will close State Road 114 between State Road 55 and Curtis Creek Bridge (west of County Road 1080 West) on or after Wednesday, June 5. State Road 114 will be closed through mid-July to resurface this section of roadway. Local access will be maintained, but through traffic should seek alternate routes. The official detour will follow State Road 55, State Road 14 and I-65. This closure will be put in place after State Road 114 reopens between C.R. 200 E and State Road 55 where resurfacing is currently

MICHIGAN CITY – Grace, a 9-month-old bobcat from the Washington Park Zoo, has escaped from her exhibit enclosure and the zoo. Zoo Director Jamie Huss asks that anyone who spots Grace not attempt to capture her. Instead, immediately report any sightings to the Michigan City Police Department’s non-emergency phone number at (219) 874-3221. Huss said the public need not be alarmed, as the baby bobcat poses no threat to humans. “Grace is roughly the size of a large housecat,” she said. “Her prey would range from chipmunks to rabbits and smaller. We are concerned for her safety, and have continued

Tuesday morning, Trooper Galvan and Trooper Beers of the Indiana State Police were involved in a vehicle pursuit when the suspect crashed their vehicle and then fled on foot. During the search, police K9 Zero, located a litter of kittens that had been abandoned in a box and hidden in a woods.  Two of the kittens were rescued while two others escaped and couldn't be found. “Trooper Galvan took the kittens home and they quickly became friends with her dog until she can find them a home,” Indiana State Police said on social media. The suspect was not located. Later

State Road 39 will close between County Road 1000 South and County Road 1000 North on or after Saturday, June 1 through early August for a culvert replacement project. The official detour will follow State Road 16, U.S. 421 and State Road 14. Follow WIMS on Facebook and continue visiting WIMSradio.com for more roadwork updates.

La Porte County Commissioner Joe Haney posted the following statement on his Facebook page regarding the area where a double fatal crash recently occurred. “Over the weekend a tragic accident occurred at Joliet Rd and 900W. I spent time this afternoon viewing the increased traffic at this intersection, most of which is due to INDOT construction. Today I directed the highway department to install "Stop Ahead" signs on both directions of travel for this intersection, in addition to spinning 'whirly-gigs' for the stop signs themselves to help attract attention to the signs. At the next Board of Commissioners meeting I'm

A 53-year-old Chesterton resident was defrauded of nearly $35,000 earlier this month after she was convinced her Apple account had been hacked and was told to deposit that amount in a Bitcoin ATM, the Chesterton Police Department said in a statement. The resident was browsing her iPad when “she got a full-screen popup informing her that her Apple account had been hacked,” with a link to click for “rectifying the situation.” The resident clicked the link and “the next thing she knew her iPhone rang,” police said. “She answered and a man purporting to be ‘Anthony Brown’ from ‘Apple Security‘

MARSHALL COUNTY, Ind. - An Indiana Department of Transportation contractor will close State Road 331 between Woodies Lane and Hill Trail Road (east of State Road 106) on or after Monday, June 3. State Road 331 will be closed through mid-August for a bridge deck overlay preventative maintenance project over Middle Fork Yellow River. INDOT says motorists should seek an alternate route. The official detour will follow State Road 106, U.S. 6, U.S. 31 and U.S. 30.

Press Release, Porter County Community Foundation: VALPARAISO, IN — The Porter County Community Foundation (PCCF) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Porter County: Arieanna Brown of Washington Township High School, Miles O’Shea of Valparaiso High School, and Olivia Pierce of Portage High School. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character and leadership. “This year’s recipients impressed the committee with their academic achievements and leadership skills,” said Bill Higbie, President & CEO, of the Porter County Community Foundation. Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides for full tuition,

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - An Indiana Department of Transportation contractor  will close State Road 2 between U.S. 41 and Parrish Ave on or after Monday, June 3. State Road 2 will be closed through early July for a bridge deck overlay preventative maintenance project over John Bruce Ditch. INDOT says motorists should seek alternate routes. The official detour will follow U.S. 41, State Road 10 and I-65.

Memorial Day is the traditional start of the summer vacation,  a time for  barbecues and going to the beach.  The cadets of the Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) recognized the true meaning of the holiday, which is to remember those who gave their lives in the service of their country.  They did this by placing flags on veterans graves at the Greenwood Cemetery, saluting the veterans groups as they traversed the Washington Park Bridge for their memorial service, marched in the Michigan City Memorial Day parade, and participated in the Michigan City

An Indiana Department of Transportation contractor will close State Road 49 between Daumer Road and County Road 900 South on or after Monday, June 3. State Road 49 will be closed through mid-July for a small structure replacement at Martin Ditch. Motorists should seek an alternate route. The official detour will follow State Road 8, U.S. 421, and State Road 10.

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate after a fatal crash claimed the lives of two children. On May 25 just after 12:40 p.m., deputies responded to the intersection of Joliet Road and County Road 900 West, reference a two-vehicle crash with injuries. The initial on-scene investigation determined a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer, driven by a 41-year-old from Justice, Illinois, was pulling a U-Haul trailer was traveling south on County Road 900 West. A 2011 Ford F250 pickup truck, driven by a 47-year-old from La Porte was traveling east on Joliet Road. The southbound Chevrolet disregarded the stop

Beginning Wednesday, May 29, Barker Road between Woodland and Cleveland avenues, and Garretson Avenue between Cleveland Avenue and Franklin Street, will be milled (surface removed) to prepare the roads for pavement. The City of Michigan City stated on their Facebook page that updates will be provided as they become available. To opt in for text message alerts about updates or changes in activity, please text MC2024 (no spaces) to 833-236-7421.

Press Release, City of Valparaiso: The City of Valparaiso has been named a Tree City USA for 2023 by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management. “As a city, we all win when our community makes smart investments in urban forests, because trees provide so many benefits -- shade, beauty, air purifying, and soil stabilizing to name just a few,” said Mayor Jon Costas. Valparaiso joins more than 3,400 communities nationwide to earn this recognition, based on meeting tree-enhancing criteria, including having a tree management team, maintaining a tree and landscaping guideline in

MICHIGAN CITY – Beginning Tuesday, May 28, Wabash Street between Barker Avenue and 10th Street will become a one-way, northbound-only road to allow for the shuttling of large precast concrete to a construction site downtown. This will remain the case from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday through Friday through mid-August. Follow WIMS on Facebook and check out WIMSradio.com for the latest roadwork updates.

Michigan City Area Schools has announced plans to participate in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Free meals will be made available to all children 18 years of age and under and to persons over 18 years who are enrolled in a state-approved educational program for the mentally or physically disabled. Free meals will be provided to all children without charge and are the same for all children. Children must be present to receive their meals. There will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service. Free meals will be provided at the sites and times as follows:

Franciscan Health Michigan City is partnering with the La Porte Fire Department to provide home visits to high-risk prenatal and postpartum patients under the care of LaPorte County Franciscan Health providers. The program, dubbed Project Swaddle, sends community paramedics to qualifying patients’ home for vital checks, emotional support, connections to community resources and education on safe sleep, home safety, car seat safety, breastfeeding and other parenting topics. Factors that lead to a patient being classified as high-risk can include diabetes, hypertension, maternal age (younger than 17 or older than 35), a pregnancy with multiple babies, previous pre-term labor, a previous

In observance of Memorial Day, the South Shore Line will operate a weekend/holiday train schedule on Monday, May 27. Alcohol will be prohibited on SSL trains all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday, May 25-27. The South Shore Line is reminding passengers that glass bottles are always prohibited. NICTD administrative offices in Chesterton and Michigan City will be closed Monday, May 27.

Statement from United Way of LaPorte County: POWER OF THE PURSE takes place September 12 at the Uptown Social in Michigan City. Tickets and sponsorships available soon! Deciding whether to give and which charity to support can be overwhelming. Giving to United Way through donations and events like POWER OF THE PURSE is different because with one gift, you’re actually giving to dozens of local agencies that address the conditions entangled with poverty, financial instability, and food constraints. United Way of LaPorte County is dedicated to help those in need....but we can't do it alone.

Phase 2 of bridge deck overlay work on I-94 eastbound in Lake County is now in place. There are 2 lanes to the left of the work zone and 2 lanes to the right after U.S. 41/Calumet Avenue. Previous ramp closures at the U.S. 41/Indy Boulevard and Kennedy Avenue interchanges remain in place through late June.