Local News

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH), in partnership with the Truth Initiative, announced a text message program to help Indiana teens and young adults who want to quit vaping.The This is Quitting program was created with input from teens, college students and young adults who have attempted to or successfully quit e-cigarettes. Hoosier youth who need help quitting vaping can text “Indiana” to 88709 and receive age-appropriate recommendations about ways to quit. The program is part of a three-pronged approach directed by Gov. Eric J. Holcomb to reduce youth vaping that focuses on prevention, education and cessation.Since its launch

In the early morning hours of Sunday, La Porte City Police, were dispatched to the area of F and 4th Streets in regards to a shots fired call. Upon arrival, Officers located the victim, a juvenile, who had sustained a non-life threatening injury and was transported to the La Porte Hospital. Officers also spoke with several witnesses at the scene. A suspect was quickly developed and was located. The suspect, also a juvenile, was taken into custody and a firearm was recovered. It was also learned that the victim and suspect knew each other and there was never a threat

On Tuesday January 14th, 2020 at approximately 2:25 P.M.; a suspect entered the La Porte Community Federal Credit Union located at 1315 Southwind Drive in Michigan City, Indiana. The suspect approached a teller and supplied a note demanding money. The suspect obtained anundisclosed amount of United States Currency and left the area. Several agencies responded to the scene to include the Michigan City Police Department, (Investigative Division and Patrol Division), La Porte County Sheriff’s Department, and La Porte County Drug Task Force. Officers searched the area and followed up on initial leads but were unableto locate the suspect. The suspect

At approximately 12:43 this morning, the South Bend Police Department was called to the 600 block of South Liberty, South Bend, on a shooting. Upon arrival of uniformed officers on the scene, they discovered a male inside the home who appeared to have been shot. Medical personnel responded and pronounced the man deceased at the scene. The deceased has been identified as Huey Hudson, Jr., age 28, of South Bend. The St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit (CMHU) was activated to investigate, per protocol. No one is in custody in the case at this time, and investigators are continuing to

The Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) takes great pride in offering scholarship awards to students in the La Porte community, a tradition started by the La Porte Hospital Foundation in 1983.  In addition to multiple scholarships available through HFL, scholarship opportunities funded by the La Porte Hospital Auxiliary will also be accessible through the same application process. A total of $100,000 will be awarded in 2020. The application for these scholarships will be open January 24 through March 20. Applications must be submitted through HFL’s online grant portal prior to midnight on Friday, March 20. To access the application or

Indiana’s unemployment rate stands at 3.2 percent for December and remains lower than the national rate of 3.5 percent. The monthly unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people seeking employment within the prior four weeks as a percentage of the labor force.Indiana’s labor force had a net increase of 1,948 over the previous month. This was a result of a decrease of 3 unemployed residents and an increase of 1,951 employed residents. Indiana's total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3.38 million,

Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) Neeti Parashar, professor of Physics, and Jim Dolen, assistant professor of Physics, have been awarded a multiyear grant of approximately $526,000 by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to work on the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Geneva, Switzerland, and at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Ill. These are world-class facilities to pursue particle physics research.PNW is the only undergraduate Physics department in the United States to be a full contributing member for these experiments at both CERN and Fermilab. Parashar and Dolen have worked for years to

On Thursday, February 6, Bentwood Tavern in New Buffalo, Michigan will host a Give-Back Dinner to benefit Lubeznik Center for the Arts (LCA) in Michigan City, Indiana. Bentwood Tavern has generously agreed to donate 50% of all food and beverage revenue from the evening to support LCA’s mission. LCA is a non-profit agency working to eliminate barriers and provide people of all ages with access to compelling art exhibitions and programs. The organization’s core offerings include -The offering of three major art exhibitions per year. Admission is free and open to all, seven days a week. -Student Learning Tours bring

With an emergency need for blood, Franciscan Health will host an additional Versiti Blood Center of Illinois blood drive at its Michigan City hospital on Jan. 28. This drive is in addition to upcoming drives at the Franciscan Health Munster and Crown Point hospitals in February. The upcoming blood drives are as follows: * 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 28 at Franciscan Health Michigan City, 3500 Franciscan Way, in the Blessed Maria Theresia Bonzel Community Room. * Noon to 4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 6 at Franciscan Health Munster, 701 Superior Ave., in the St. Claire Conference Room *

Legislation co-authored by State Rep. Jim Pressel (R-Rolling Prairie) that would prohibit holding a hand-held electronic device while driving passed out of the House Roads and Transportation Committee Wednesday. Pressel, a member of the committee, said nine Americans are killed each day as a result of distracted driving. It is also one of the top killers of teenagers, responsible for more than 58 percent of teen crashes. He said while Indiana has a law that prohibits texting while driving, it is difficult to enforce and drivers continue to use their devices including scrolling through social media feeds and playing games.

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) has launched a new pilot program aimed at reducing serious injuries to children caused by abuse or neglect with support from a new federal initiative. Through the Child Safety Forward grant, ISDH has partnered with the Indiana University School of Social Work to conduct the pilot program in Clark, Delaware and Grant counties. Working through the local Child Fatality Review teams, ISDH will also collaborate with the Indiana Department of Child Services to help identify cases for review. The U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime is providing $750,000 over three

Some Indiana lawmakers are continuing their push to relax the state's marijuana laws. At a news conference on Thursday, Senate Democratic Chair Karen Tallian promoted Senate Bill 114, which would decriminalize possession of less than one ounce of marijuana an amount that currently carries a penalty of up to 180 days in jail and/or a fine of one-thousand dollars. Republican State Representative Jim Lucas introduced a similar decriminalization bill in this session (HB 1048). However, he believes legalization is an uphill battle given opposition from Governor Eric Holcomb and other top leaders. According to data from state prosecutors, marijuana accounted

Franciscan Hospital leaders reflected on the events of the past year as they kicked off a week-long anniversary celebration this past  Monday, gathering in the hospital lobby to thank staff members for their efforts.Trish Weber, vice president of operations and chief nursing officer, tallied up the increases of the past year, with more babies delivered, a growing number of emergency room visits and additional operating room cases. Weber said the volume of cases has prompted the decision to add two new or suites at the hospital.Vice President of Clinical Support Services Jill Nygren said listening to the voices of patients

The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office announces the arrests of an Ohio woman and a New York man for drug and weapon offenses. On Tuesday, during the late morning, Deputy Wade Wallace was working the Domestic Highway Enforcement (DHE) program along the Indiana Toll Road.  Deputy Wallace was monitoring eastbound traffic at the 52-mile marker. He observed a passenger vehicle traveling eastbound that gained his attention. As the vehicle passed, he observed the vehicle committing a traffic infraction. He observed another traffic infraction being committed by the same vehicle. Deputy Wallace initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle inside the service

On Wednesday January 22nd, 2020; the Michigan City Police Department, in cooperation with the Michigan City Area Schools conducted a Preventative Safety Search at the AK Smith Career Center. This initiative was organized by Michigan City Police Department SRO’s Steve Forker and Scott Combs, along with Justin Biggs, Assistant Principal of the AK Smith Career Center. K-9’s from the Michigan City Police Department and Indiana State Police were utilized to conduct preventative searches of lockers and other common areas of the building. During the preventive search of the building, the students were placed on a hold, where they remained in

The Michigan City Police Department would like to announce the 2019 recipient of the Chris Smith Award, Officer Lendell Hood.  The Chris Smith Award was named after Officer Chris Smith who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.  Officer Chris Smith embodied the passion and love for law enforcement as well as a love for life.  Each year since 2008, the Michigan City Police Department selects a recipient of this award after nominations are obtained from members of the police department. Officer Lendell Hood is an Air Force veteran who served honorably for 10 years.  He earned a Bachelor

The La Porte County Symphony Orchestra is looking for contestants for the 15th annual Hoosier Star competition. Hoosier Star is open to amateur singers of all musical styles and age groups. Competitors in both the youth and adult categories can compete individually or as a duet. Auditions will be held at the La Porte Little Theatre , 218 A Street , on Saturday, March 21 from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (CDT) and Sunday, March 22 from Noon to 5:00 PM (CDT) . The ten Hoosier Star finalists will perform along with the La Porte County Symphony Orchestra on Saturday,

There are numerous boards and commissions in Michigan City to which the Mayor appoints members. These boards and commissions play a vital role providing advice and counsel to city government on a wide-range of issues, including public safety, education, housing, economic development, architecture and planning and other matters affecting the quality of life in our community. Membership consists of individuals from a variety of backgrounds, all who share a commitment to public service. Board functions and the appointment process vary from board to board. The size of the board, criteria for membership, and member terms are set forth in most

State Rep. Jim Pressel will host two public meetings this Saturday, to hear from members of the community and discuss important issues being considered during the current legislative session. The first meeting will take place 9-10 a.m. at the La Porte County Public Library. The second meeting will be from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the La Crosse Public Library. Pressel will discuss legislation he has introduced as well as top issues being discussed this session. LaPorte and Starke county residents can contact Pressel with questions by emailing h20@iga.in.gov or calling 317-232-9600. Lawmakers are currently in session and must conclude their

Mayor Duane Parry and the Barker Civic Center Commission is proud to announce the appointment of Sarah Berndt as the new Director of Barker Mansion and the appointment of five new Commissioners to the Board. The historic Barker Mansion lives as a monument of industry, charity, and turn-of-the-century life in Michigan City, highlighting the legacy of the Barker family through tours, special programs, and community event rentals, located at 631 Washington St. Sarah Berndt comes to the Barker Mansion with a background in museum leadership and decorative arts. She brings experience managing historic collections and expanding outreach as well as