Local News

La Porte County Deputies responded to an aircraft incident Monday. At 12:45 PM, deputies from the LaPorte County Sheriff's office were dispatched to the area of US 421 and CR 1100 South, rural Clinton Township, in reference to an airplane that went down in the area. Deputies arrived minutes later and located an airplane in a field on the northeast corner of US 421 and CR 1100 South. The airplane was located approximately 300 yards east of US 421. The deputies met with the pilot and passenger, both of whom were uninjured. The pilot of the 1965 Piper Twin Comanche

In Lake County, the ramp from Gary Rd to northbound Cline Ave/State Road 912 will be closed beginning Monday, March 29. A full road closure is required for the duration of the project to allow sufficient room for the various construction activities and for the safety of workers and motorists. The ramp is expected to reopen in mid-July, 2021. Drivers should seek an alternate route. The official detour is to go south on U.S. 12/State Road 912 and use the ramps at U.S. 20 to exit and re-enter to go north.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team at Franciscan Health created a remote patient monitoring program that used telehealth technology to allow patients with coronavirus to recover in the comfort of their home. Franciscan Health Crown Point Vice President of Medical Affairs Erik Mikaitis, MD, said, “Our number one priority in this work was to keep our patients safe by providing them with additional support. This program gave them a way to self-monitor symptoms and provided a robust follow-up process with our physicians.” Patients selected for the program are given a kit to monitor their health, along with

On March 21, 2021 at approximately 9:00 p.m., Trooper Connor Davidson responded to a crash on I-80/94 eastbound at the 4.5 mile-marker. This is just west of the Cline Ave. exit ramp. Preliminary investigation shows that an unknown black SUV was driving recklessly and may have struck a gold 2007 Chevrolet Suburban. The Suburban then ran off the right side of the road when it struck the guard rail, rolled over, and struck the overhead signpost. This impact caused the large sign to collapse, falling onto the roadway and blocking the right three lanes. The sign partially fell onto another

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) hosted a military drill competition at MCHS on March 20, 2021. 6 schools from Chicago, Zion and Romeoville Illinois along with Ben Davis (Indianapolis), Portage and MCHS competed. Cadet Captain Jessica Wilhelm commanded the Armed, Unarmed and Inspection platoons, earning 3rd place in each category. Cadet First Lieutenant Declan Rice commanded the B Color Guard to another third place finish. The meet was sponsored by the Michigan City chapter of the Marine Corps League. “With all of the restrictions we

This FREE program is open to kids ages 1 – 12 The program is simple and provides a wide range of opportunities to explore some of the parks that Michigan City has to offer that you may not be aware of. To get started, you will need to pick up your “passport” from the Michigan City Park Department. Within the passport, there are nine locations listed for kids and their parents to visit. Seven of the locations are parks: Gardena, Hansen, Winding Creek Cove, Joe Hawkins, Pullman, Oak Hills, and Water Tower Park. At these locations, kids are asked to

Phil Duracz of Chesterton broke the state record for whitefish while fishing on Lake Michigan near Portage on March 6th. Duracz’s catch weighed 9.34 pounds, besting the previous record from 2019 by 1.65 pounds. Lake whitefish state records are the most frequently broken in Indiana in the past decade. This is the eighth time the record has fallen since 2012. Prized as excellent table fare, whitefish are becoming more sought after by Indiana’s Lake Michigan anglers. They can be caught near shore from November to April, typically when water temperatures are below 50 degrees. “Whitefish are usually caught by pier

The La Porte Police Department is ramping up enforcement this spring to protect students going to and from school. Over the next couple of months, officers will be positioned along bus stops and routes watching for stop-arm violations and unsafe driving behavior. The overtime patrols are funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through the state’s Stop Arm Violation Enforcement (SAVE) program, which was developed by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute in 2019. “Disregarding a school bus stop arm is a very dangerous and serious offense,” said Chief Paul Brettin. “We want students to arrive to school and return

Don't miss Michigan City Area Schools’ "Kindergarten Q&A" on Tuesday, March 23 at 4:00pm - streaming live at https://educateMC.net/kinderchat .Special guests will include Springfield Principal Lisa Emshwiller, Marsh Kindergarten Teacher Susan Shell, Edgewood Nurse Brandi Morlan, Coolspring Secretary Kathy Schroll, and MCAS Director of Transportation Sue Harrison. Submit your questions in advance at https://educateMC.net/qa or during the live stream.

Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana Dunes Tourism, and Friends of the Indiana Dunes announce the launch of the "Diana Dunes Dare," the newest, all-season, self-guided hiking challenge at the Indiana Dunes National Park. A virtual event on Thursday, March 25th at 2:00 pm will celebrate "Diana of the Dunes" and the hiking challenge and dune named in her honor.   The Diana Dunes Dare follows the existing West Beach Dune Succession Trail route. It tells the story of Alice Mabel Gray, also known as "Diana of the Dunes.” Christine Livingston, Assistant Director at Indiana Dunes Tourism, and Kimberly Swift, Chief

On March 18th, 2021 at approximately 11:03 P.M. is when the LaPorte County E-911 Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 call regarding a person who was shot in the 200 block of Thurman Avenue. Numerous officers from Uniform Patrol Shift 3 responded to the scene and located a 33-year-old Michigan City resident inside his house with a gunshot wound to the rib cage area. Responding officers provided the shooting victim with life saving measures before LaPorte County EMS arrived at the scene and transported him to Franciscan Health Michigan City Hospital for further medical treatment. Detectives from the Investigative Division

INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK: The National Park Service is planning four prescribed fires this spring at Indiana Dunes National Park. Approximately 976 acres are expected to be burned. Fire is used as a tool for the park's long-term restoration and hazard fuel reduction efforts. Clear management goals and objectives have been established for each burn unit. Before burning, a designated set of conditions must exist including ideal wind speed and direction, and relative humidity. Weather conditions will be monitored throughout the duration of the burn to ensure the fire is completed safely. In the east half of the park, a prescribed fire is planned around the

One year ago today (March 18), Michiana Humane Society locked the front door to the public. But they never gave up on the animals. Today we mark that anniversary, and celebrate the happy outcomes, with a special video you can find on WIMS facebook.   Their ten week closure found 90+ pets moved into foster homes. Over half of them were adopted into those caring families and never returned to the shelter.   In fact, adoptions remained steady throughout the past year. In the darkest hours, pets chased the loneliness away. They are friends, indeed!   Michiana Humane Society is

Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas Carter recently announced the promotion of Master Trooper Detective Michael C. Bailey to the rank of Sergeant to serve as the Investigative Squad Leader at the Lowell Post. Sgt. Bailey earned this promotion through written testing and a competitive interview process. Sgt. Bailey is a native of Hebron, IN, graduating from Andrean High School in Merrillville before studying at Ball State University.  In 2000, he was selected to attend and graduated from the 59th Indiana State Police Recruit Academy located in Plainfield, IN.  After graduating, Bailey was assigned to the Versailles Post, later transferring to the

Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas Carter recently announced the promotion of Senior Trooper Davonne D. Barlow to the rank of Sergeant to serve as a District Squad Leader for the Lowell Post.  Sgt. Barlow earned this promotion through written testing and a competitive interview process. Sgt. Barlow graduated from Horace Mann High School in Gary, IN, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Indiana State University.  In 2011, he was selected to attend and graduated from the 70th Indiana State Police Recruit Academy located in Plainfield, IN.  After graduation, he was assigned to the Lowell Post

This morning at approximately 1:07 a.m., the Indiana State Police responded to a single vehicle crash in the area of I-80/94 and Cline Avenue. Preliminary investigation by Trooper Maenza and Trooper Hieb shows that a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer was traveling on the ramp from southbound Cline Avenue to I-80/94 westbound when for unknown reasons, the vehicle left the traveled portion of the roadway. The vehicle continued traveling south down an embankment, causing the vehicle to overturn. As the vehicle rolled down the hill, the driver was ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle came to a final uncontrolled rest facing east

This month, the Indiana Tobacco Quitline (1-800-QUIT NOW) is celebrating 15 years of helping thousands of Hoosiers overcome their tobacco addiction and live healthier lives. To mark the anniversary, the Quitline is offering four weeks of free nicotine patches and gum to anyone who enrolls, while supplies last. Since it began in March 2006, the Quitline has helped more than 180,000 tobacco users quit tobacco through its free phone counseling, web-based service Web Coach and supplementary texting service Text2Quit. “The Indiana Tobacco Quitline plays a critical role in efforts to make Indiana a healthier place to live and work,” said

Ashley Dickinson, has been named Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Health. Ashley has been the CEO of our Northwest Health hospitals in La Porte and Knox since 2017 and served as the Chief Operating Officer at Northwest Health - Porter prior to that. Check out WIMS FACEBOOK page for more information.

The Michigan City Refuse Department will conduct its Annual Spring Clean-Up beginning on March 22, 2021. Refuse Department requests that all residents separate the debris that is to be discarded into the following three (3) categories: 1. Brush, limbs, shrubs, yard waste, and unpainted concrete (no black-top rubble); 2. Rugs, lumber, furniture, mattress, and box-springs; and 3. Appliances and tires. Tires can be rimmed or un-rimmed, and appliances include items such as stoves, refrigerators, air conditions, water tanks, etc. Please keep the above items separated as described above. Residents may place items on curbside or in the alleys, whichever is

Young people will discover the thrill of the performing arts in  three on-site summer classes at Northwest Indiana’s renowned Dunes Summer Theatre. Kids ages 5-18 have a unique opportunity to explore skills in acting, singing, and mask making through Summer Youth Theatre Classes, beginning in mid-June. Class sizes are limited to give each student a personalized, immersive experience says Amber Zangari, education coordinator for Dunes Arts Foundation (DAF). “We are delighted to be able to introduce children and teens to activities that will tap their imaginations and, hopefully, kindle their love of the performing arts,” Zangari says. “All classes will be conducted on