Local News

South Shore Line service updates will be in effect to accommodate passengers attending the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo Feb. 28 - March 1, at McCormick Place. The SSL will be offering the following weekday train stops at McCormick Place Station on Friday, Feb. 28, in addition to regular service to McCormick Place during the weekend: Westbound: Trains 14, 216, 116, 218, 18, 118, 220, 20Eastbound: Trains 9, 109, 209, 113, 17, 119, 19, 121, 123 Note: Eastbound Trains 109, 113, 119, 121, 123 terminate at Carroll Ave.; Train 209 terminates at Gary Metro Center; Trains 9, 17 & 19

The Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) military drill team finished third out of 13 schools at the Sectional meet held at Purdue University in West Lafayette on February 22nd.  Cadet 1st Lieutenant Jessica Wilhelm commanded the Unarmed Regulation Platoon to a first place finish and Cadet Captain Bohdan Walker commanded the Armed Exhibition Platoon to a third place finish in their respective categories.  Indianapolis Ben Davis HS (student population of approximately 3500) won the meet, with Portage HS (student population of approximately 2400) came in second.  MCHS enrollment is approximately 1500.  The

The American Red Cross urges the public to join its lifesaving mission by giving blood or platelets this March in celebration of Red Cross Month. Donors of all blood types, especially type O, are urgently needed to help ensure blood is available for patients this spring. Every day, thousands of patients depend on blood donations to help save their lives – patients like Heath Cornford who spent his first 217 days of life in the hospital. Born in February 2018 with an abnormal narrowing of the heart, Heath has undergone many complex surgeries – including a heart transplant – and

On Saturday, 11 of our choral students traveled to Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis to compete at the ISSMA State Solo and Ensemble Competition. Isabelle Eaton (sophomore), Savannah Holley (sophomore), Gwyneth Sardon (junior) and Delaina Adams (junior) all received Gold ratings for their vocal solos. Savannah Holley received a perfect score and earned a Gold “With Distinction” and Delaina Adams also received a Gold “With Distinction”. The small ensemble composed of Savannah Holley, Delaina Adams, Raven Stansil (junior), Gwyneth Sardon, Isabelle Eaton and Chanay Hammond (junior) received a Gold rating at the contest. Finally, the large ensemble composed of

Beginning with westbound Train 600, all South Shore Line passengers utilizing Millennium Station will temporarily board/detrain at the Metra Depot (Tracks 5 and 6), located northwest of the SSL platform. During this time, Metra will be performing switch work. Work is expected to last until late afternoon, at which time passengers may return to utilizing the SSL platform. Updates will be sent when work is complete.

The Valparaiso Police took measures that lead to the identification of a deceased male, who was located along a wooded area between the 2200 block of Chicago St. and the 100 Block of Mayfield Ave.  The September 24, 2016, report was made by a man walking in the area that lead officers to a makeshift camp-site where the deceased was located. The deceased had no identification, no usable fingerprints, and no identifying marks that aided police in learning the name of the subject.  At the time, the death was investigated with no foul play discovered. All leads were further exhausted

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.  That’s the important reminder coming from the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) with two of the heaviest drinking events of the year around the corner:  St. Patrick’s Day and the NCAA tournament. All throughout March, deputies will be conducting overtime patrols and sobriety checkpoints to prevent dangerous and impaired driving. This is part of a statewide enforcement campaign, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI). Impaired driving isn’t the only risk on the road in March, according to ICJI.  Dangerous driving, which includes factors such

Swanson Center, the community mental health center for LaPorte County, announces the appointment of Robin Moore, LCSW, CADC, as the manager for the Passages Addictions Services Program.  With more than 20 years of experience in mental health and addictions counseling for individuals and groups, along with administrative and supervisory experience, Moore looks forward to helping patients with the help they need to overcome problems related substance abuse or dependency.  She will work out of the Michigan City office. “I joined the staff Swanson Center because I believe in their mission:  to improve lives, one person at a time.  I also

State Representative Pat Boy (D-Michigan City) and State Representative Mara Candelaria Reardon (D-Munster) issued statements in response to Governor Holcomb’s Executive Order regarding the crisis Hoosiers are facing along Lake Michigan’s shoreline: “The erosion along the Lake Michigan shoreline cannot be stopped by the passage of legislation or endless months of debate,” said Boy. “This is an issue that demands swift, hands-on action. That is why I sent a letter to the governor two months ago calling for him to issue a Declaration of Emergency for communities along the lakeshore in Porter and LaPorte counties. Due to record-high water levels

As the 2020 Indiana legislative session moves towards ending, environmental groups are closely watching a bill about deregulating wetlands. After passing in the Senate, S-B 299 is in the hands of the House Committee on Local Government. The measure would exempt drain reconstruction from Indiana's wetland regulation. Indra Frank with the Hoosier Environmental Council says that means county surveyors could adjust the size, depth or route of regulated drains without permits or state oversight. According to the bill text, more than two-thousand permits have been processed for the more than one-thousand regulated drains in the state since 2015. Frank says

The new Recovery Center in LaPorte will provide outpatient medication-assisted treatment for those with opioid use disorders, focusing on the methadone delivery model.  The Recovery Center will be run by Porter-Starke Services and is co-located with Swanson Center’s outpatient office at 1230 W State Rd 2 in LaPorte. Matt Burden, President/CEO of Porter-Starke Services, provided an overview on the state-identified need for an Opioid Treatment Program in LaPorte, the timeline of the project, and how they were able to overcome some of the initial hurdles of the project, particularly on funding. “Without the generous grant support of the Healthcare Foundation

PNW dean, faculty member named Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs  Purdue University Northwest (PNW) today announced Kenneth (Chris) Holford will become the university’s next Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, effective May 11. Holford was selected through a nationwide search that began last fall. The current dean of the PNW College of Engineering and Sciences and a professor of Biology, Holford has served the Purdue Northwest campuses for more than 18 years. “I continue to be proud of my service to Purdue Northwest, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to take on this broader leadership

Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced he signed an executive order directing state agencies to pursue collection of damage information that could lead to a declaration of disaster emergency along the Lake Michigan shoreline. He also outlined steps state agencies will take to provide assistance along the shoreline. The executive order is attached. Gov. Holcomb surveyed the Lake Michigan shoreline via Indiana State Police helicopter on Sunday and observed conditions along the entire shoreline including Beverly Shores, Ogden Dunes, Portage and Long Beach. “Our administration has been monitoring the erosion along the Lake Michigan shoreline but I wanted to see the

Krueger Middle School students are learning that it pays to recycle. In 2019, the school won a $10,000 prize from PepsiCo Recycle Rally, after ranking ninth in the nation in the PepsiCo Recycle Rally challenge. This school year, Krueger is on track to win another big prize – and they are asking for more help from the community to make it happen. Environmental Science teacher Daisy Lee, who spearheads the project for Krueger says she is hoping more businesses and organizations will partner with them to help collect and weigh bottles and cans for the challenge. She says individuals can

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is now accepting applications for the position of Merit Deputy. Applicants who successfully complete and pass the various stages of the hiring process will be ranked on a list for any future vacancies that may arise within the Merit Division of the Sheriff’s Office. The hiring process will include the following stages: application phase, physical agility testing, written examination, computerized voice stress analysis examination, background investigation, Merit Division interview panel and a Merit Commission interview. Applications can be found online by accessing the Sheriff’s Office website: www.laportecountysheriff.com or by picking them up at the front desk

Wednesday morning at approximately 9:50 a.m., Trooper Nathan Wolfe was dispatched to a single vehicle crash on I-80/94 at the 17.4 mile-marker.  This location is approximately 2 miles east of Ripley St.  Preliminary investigation by Trooper Wolfe shows that a 2011 Freightliner was eastbound, traveling in the center lane, when an object struck the windshield of the truck.  The object appeared to have penetrated the windshield which resulted in the glass shattering.  The driver suffered serious injuries that resulted in him having to be flown to Chicago from the scene for treatment.  The driver of the vehicle was identified as

On Monday February 17th, 2020 at approximately 11:00pm, several units with the Michigan City Police Department were dispatched to a residence on Julianna Dr. after a report of a subject shot multiple times. Upon arrival, a 28-year-old male subject was located with several non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. This same subject was transported to Franciscan St. Anthony Hospital where he was treated for his injuries. The Michigan City Police Department’s Investigative Division and the La Porte County Drug Task Force were called in to process the scene which contained a substantial amount of illegal drugs, US currency and firearms.The investigation is ongoing

The South Central Education Foundation is holding it's annual Scholarship Raffle. One winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship. A maximum of 250 tickets are sold. If you are interested in a $20 ticket for a chance to win, print out the attached form on South Central High School’s Facebook page and return it to the high school office by February 28th. Forms are also available in the office.

On Monday at around 2:30 p.m., A Valparaiso Police Officer assigned to the Porter County Highway Interdiction Team, initiated a traffic stop along the Indiana State Toll Road for multiple infractions. During the investigation, the driver of the vehicle admitted to having a “personal use” amount of marijuana with him in the vehicle. The officer further noted several indicators of marijuana possession or consumption within the vehicle. As the officer prepared to recover the illegal material, and conduct a legal search of the vehicle, the driver admitted to having large quantities of marijuana contained in luggage in the rear vehicle

After nearly a century of operation, a popular amusement park has closed its gates for good. The owners of Indiana Beach in Monticello were unsuccessful in finding buyers for the property. The park has been owned by Apex Parks Group since 2015. The closure was reportedly for financial reasons and Apex Parks also closed three additional amusement parks. Indiana Beach still has nearly 30 employees, though it is uncertain what the future will hold for those jobs.