Local News

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is investigating damage to the Dunes Summer Theatre.  Yesterday (05/10/20) at approximately 8:35 AM, deputies were dispatched to the theatre, located at 288 Shady Oak Drive, Michiana Shores, in reference to a report of criminal mischief.    Deputies Michael Sweet and Josh Smith arrived and began to investigate.  The exterior of the main building had been spray painted with graffiti, two windows were broken, a door had been pried open and entry was made.  Smaller buildings on the property were also vandalized.  The damage to these buildings included another broken window and additional graffiti. 

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 511 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 24,627 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total. Intensive care unit and ventilator capacity remains steady. Nearly 43 percent of ICU beds and more than 81 percent of ventilators were available as of Monday. A total of 1,411 Hoosiers have been confirmed to have died of COVID-19, an increase of 32 over

Porter County has been awarded $161,046 by the federal Emergency Food and Shelter Program to support local food pantries and homeless shelter services. $94,655 of the award comes from the Federal CARES Act for coronavirus relief. The selection was made by a National Board that is chaired by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and consists of representatives from American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, The Salvation Army, United Jewish Communities and United Way of America. A Local County Board will determine how the awarded funds will

Indiana University Northwest, and the Center for Economic and Education and Research (CEER) at Indiana University Northwest, will host a free webinar exploring the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Open to the public, the virtual event, “COVID-19 Economic Effects on Northwest Indiana,” is scheduled for 1 to 2:30 p.m., Wednesday May 13, and will be accessible online via the Zoom video platform and Facebook Live. Micah Pollak, associate professor of economics at IU Northwest and director of CEER, has convened six panelists from a variety of areas to discuss the wide-ranging impact of the pandemic and the state’s response

Michigan City Area Schools are making plans for virtual summer school in June. MCAS will offer a wide variety of courses at the high school level, including a virtual summer P.E. class. Sessions for high school will run June 1-12 and 15-26.At the middle school level, a fun "STEM through Music" course will be offered virtually June 15-26. Elementary programs (for students entering grades 1-6) will involve fun learning activities in coding, art, cooking & math, writing, book club, yoga and more! These virtual enrichment courses will be offered June 15-26.A link has been provided for specifics about what will be offered

Mayor Parry and the Park Department have been diligently attempting to come up with a “PLAN” for Washington Park Stickers for this year. As we continue to develop our plan for issuing new stickers, we have decided that the 2019 Resident Park Sticker will be honored. Which means if you presently have a sticker adhered to your windshield, we will honor that sticker throughout the 2020 season. This idea is to help reduce the amount of people having to renew this year cutting down the potential registering traffic. If you have already removed your expired sticker, “DON’T PANIC” we are

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) announces the arrest of 35 year old Asia L. Jeter of South Bend. Thursday morning just before 1 A.M., deputies were advised that the Berrien County Michigan Sheriff’s Department had initiated a motor vehicle pursuit in their county/state. LCSO Deputies learned that Berrien County authorities had attempted to check on the occupants of a vehicle, but the vehicle fled causing the pursuit. Berrien County units terminated the pursuit on CR 500 East in northern Galena Township. A short time later, Captain Andrew Hynek observed the vehicle traveling south on CR 500 East near

Mayor of Michigan City institutes new Executive Order for Michigan City on Thursday May 7th, 2020. Check out the Executive Order on WIMS FACEBOOK page. Scroll down the WIMS FACEBOOK page to Ric Federighi Morning Show earlier today to hear comments, updates and input from Mayor Parry.

La Porte residents in need of assistance will continue to receive support from the City, according to Clerk-Treasurer Courtney Parthun. “The virus has taken its toll on our nation’s economy and left many throughout the country jobless,” Parthun said. “We understand this could be a time of financial hardship for some of our fellow La Porte residents, and we want to do what we can to help.” To assist those who might be struggling during this difficult time, Parthun said Utility Billing shut-offs have been suspended until June 1, 2020, in addition to several other support measures: Suspension of late

The La Porte Police Department is now accepting applications for sworn officer positions, according to Chief Paul Brettin. “After a temporary hiring freeze due to the coronavirus, our city’s police force is ready to expand,” Brettin said. “We are looking into several new opportunities for growth, including a specialty street crimes unit. To bring these ideas into fruition, we need new recruits who are ready and eager to serve our community.”  Brettin said those interested should get their applications in as soon as possible in order to make the next round of agility testing, which begins in June. Applicants must

Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry is partnering with Indiana farmers statewide to fill the void and get meat to those in need during this critical time and they desperately need your help to do so. They have the opportunity to help farmers and reduce food insecurity by receiving 500 pigs per week over the next 30 days. The average cost to process a pig is about $200.00. That is $100,000 per week that will be needed ASAP! Please help so these pigs can feed those in need instead of ending up in landfills. Together, we can rescue this food that would

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 862 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 21,870 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total. While the number of cases has increased, intensive care unit and ventilator capacity remains steady. As of Tuesday, about 41 percent of ICU beds and 79.4 percent of ventilators were available at hospitals throughout the state. A total of 1,264 Hoosiers have been confirmed

The vital role played by nurses in the nation’s healthcare system has come to the forefront during the current coronavirus pandemic. During National Nurses Week, Franciscan Health hospitals aim to recognize the courage, commitment and sacrifice of these frontline healthcare workers. As part of this year’s celebration, the Family Birth Centers within Franciscan Health hospitals are providing newborns with a “Future Nurse” bib as a keepsake and recognition of the care that nurses provide every day. “Compassionate care is one of our Franciscan values, and we depend on the ability of our nurses, no matter the situation, to deliver care

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) Chancellor Thomas L. Keon and Jacob Lenson, assistant vice chancellor of campus planning, project and space management, recently celebrated a milestone in PNW’s history (shown in the attached photos). The Nils K. Nelson Bioscience Innovation Building is nearing completion and has been officially handed over from the contractor to the university for usage. Named for PNW organic chemistry professor Nils K. Nelson, the 68,000-square-foot facility will contain research and teaching labs and house PNW’s College of Nursing and the Department of Biological Sciences. The building will soon be filled with furniture and equipment, preparing for students

City of Michigan City MICHIGAN CITY FARMER’S MARKET OPENING MAY 30th The Michigan City Farmer’s Market is proud to announce their grand opening event set for Saturday, May 30th. The Market is following advice from the Governor and health officials during this time. The LaPorte County Health Department and the City have set restrictions for the opening of the Market as follows: No open food. All items must be pre-packaged and fully labeledNo sampling of food itemsHome-based vendors will be allowed to sell itemsSocial distancing guidelines must be followedNo cooking or preparing food on site These requirements are being added

Yesterday, U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), and several other senators along with U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), introduced legislation to provide expanded tax support for American companies that invest in the research and development of new products and technologies. The United States spends far less supporting R&D than international competitors. This places American businesses at a disadvantage, undermining the U.S. economy and leaving the country ill-prepared for crises like COVID-19. In 2015, Congress passed legislation authored by Senators Coons and Roberts to make the R&D tax credit permanent and to expand access to the credit for

Horizon Bank donated $14,000 to the United Ways of Lake and Porter counties to support their vast network of social services to alleviate COVID-19 economic pressures on Northwest Indiana households. The donation will go to support programming to help meet immediate needs such as food insecurities, rental and mortgage payments, job placement services and more. Lake and Porter counties are providing resource guides to local and state services that can assist residents with immediate needs. In Lake County that resource is ResourceRoundup.com and in Porter County that resource is unitedwaypc.org/coronavirus-resources. For more information on what United Way is doing in

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 583 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 20,507 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total. While the number of cases has increased, intensive care unit and ventilator capacity remain steady. As of Monday, 45.5 percent of ICU beds and 80.5 percent of ventilators were available at hospitals throughout the state. A total of 1,151 Hoosiers have been confirmed to

Governor Eric J. Holcomb Announced The Back On Track Indiana Plan To Safely Open The Economy And Remain Vigilant About Protecting Hoosiers’ Health And Wellbeing Gov. Holcomb has used data to drive decisions since the state’s first case of the novel coronavirus in early March and he will continue to do so as the state contemplates a sector-by-sector reset. The state will move to reopen while continuing to monitor and respond to these four guiding principles:-The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients statewide has decreased for 14 days -The state retains its surge capacity for critical care beds and ventilators-The state

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced a new social media campaign aimed at recognizing and promoting the work of Indiana educators for national Teacher Appreciation Week, May 4-8. The #IndianaLovesTeachers Social Media Campaign shines a spotlight on the dedication and meaningful work of teachers throughout our great state. In an effort to nationally recognize educators, discussions began in 1944 to create a day to honor teachers. In 1953, Eleanor Roosevelt convinced the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day. Congress then, in 1980, declared March 7 as National Teacher Day. Following that year, the National Education Association continued