Local News

Dermody, Prince, Tallian, Stahura highlight first Leadership in Action Seminar PORTAGE, Ind. – The Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest (PNW) invites community members to join current participants and alumni of the Leadership Northwest Indiana program in an engaging discussion with regional leaders from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at the Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest, 6100 Southport Road, Portage. The first Leadership in Action Seminar Series event will begin with lunch, followed by a panel discussion featuring: Thomas Dermody, mayoral candidate for the city of La Porte; Jerome Prince, expected to be mayor-elect of the city of Gary;

The Michigan City Street Department will begin Fall Leaf Pickup on Monday, November 4,2019 Beginning on Monday November 4, 2019, Michigan City Street Department will be picking up leaves in all areas of the city.  Leaf pick-up will occur daily, Monday through Saturday, until all leaves are picked up. All residents are encouraged to rake, blow, and/or place their leaves near the street curb along the front of their property. If citizens have branches that need to be picked up, you are asked to please call in your requests to the Central Service Department at 873-1500. Keep branches separated from

The 2018 payable 2019 property tax bills were printed and mailed April 15, 2019.  Only one bill is mailed for the taxes with two coupons attached to that bill.  The spring installment was due by May 10, 2019, and the fall installment is due by Tuesday, November 12, 2019. Payments can be made at either the Treasurer’s Office in LaPorte or Michigan City.  Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed November 11 for Veteran’s Day Payments may be made in person at the Treasurer’s office 555 Michigan Ave La Porte. Payments can be mailed to

Construction of the new La Porte Hospital began earlier this year and is already making a difference in the area.  For La Porte County, and the aging of the current La Porte Hospital facility, a new era of healing and wellness dawned in 2016 when hospital officials sold the hospital to Community Health Systems of Franklin, Tennessee and they committed to invest in a new state-of-the art hospital for La Porte County and surrounding areas. In that short time, the organization has re-focused efforts on providing quality, advanced medical care close to home while designing what will be the area’s

 Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) Drill Team hosted and won a military drill meet on Saturday, October 26th at MCHS.  The Wolves defeated 5 other schools in the competition which featured eight different events.  5 schools from Chicago were unable to participate due to the Chicago teachers strike.  MCHS was led by Cadets Major Thomas Mizer, 2nd Lieutenants Jessica Wilhelm and Julia Ringstad, and Sergeant Josh Wilhelm, who commanded their units to first place finishes.                 “This was a good way for us to start our drill season,” said Senior Marine Instructor

The La Porte County Drug Task Force (LCDTF) announced the conclusion of two long term Drug Trafficking Investigations. These investigations revealed an endless flow of Cocaine into the Laporte County Region. This Cocaine was ultimately being provided to lower level street dealers and being distributed throughout the region. Early Friday morning, members of the Laporte County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA Initiative, and members of the Michigan City Police Departments Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) executed a search warrant at a home on the South Side of Michigan City. Taken into custody was 44-year old Michigan City resident Daryl

Financial aid professionals will be volunteering at both the Hammond and Westville campuses of Purdue University Northwest (PNW) to help college-bound students and their families open the door to financial aid during College Goal Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. CST Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019. The PNW program takes place in Room 200 of the Student Union & Library, 2233 173rd St., Hammond. At the Westville Campus, the program is scheduled in Room 265 of the Technology Building, 1401 S. U.S. 421. The free program assists Indiana students in filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA required

Trick or Treat hours for the Town of Ogden Dunes will be from 5:00PM to 7:00PM on October 31st, 2019. Please remember to wear something reflective or that lights up so you and your children can be seen while on the street and be sure to watch out for vehicles. Our Officers will be around town giving out bags for Halloween candy along with glow sticks for visibility (while supplies last). Please remember to be cautions if you are driving through town during this time. Quite a few free pumpkins that were left over from the OD Parks & Recreation's

On Saturday November 2, 2019 members of the Michigan City and La Porte County community will gather together to honor veterans at our 6th annual LaPorte County Veterans Breakfast. Remembering Our Veterans, Inc. picks a different group of Veterans to honor each year, and this year we have chosen to honor the American Legion on their centennial anniversary. We should also note, that it is also the centennial anniversary of the John Franklin Miller American Legion Post 37 Local LaPorte County Veterans, active duty personnel and all emergency responders are welcome to join us and eat FREE OF CHARGE. All

On Thursday, Horizon Bancorp, Inc. announced its unaudited financial results for the three-month and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2019. All share data has been adjusted to reflect Horizon’s three-for-two stock split effective June 15, 2018. Net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2019 was $20.5 million, or $0.46 diluted earnings per share, compared to $13.1 million, or $0.34 diluted earnings per share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2018. This represents the highest quarterly net income and diluted earnings per share in the Company’s history. On July 16, 2019, Horizon’s Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program

To accommodate passengers attending the Chicago Bears vs. Chargers home game at noon on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, the South Shore Line plans to stop select trains at Metra’s 18th Street Station, which connects passengers directly to the Soldier Field entrance via a pedestrian walkway. In addition to regular service to nearby Museum Campus/11th Street, the following trains will also serve 18th Street Station on Oct. 27: Westbound: Train 502 will arrive at 18th St. at 9:07a; Tr 504 at 10:10a; and Tr 606 at 11:04a. Eastbound: Train 507 will depart 18th St. at 4:49p, and Tr 509 will depart

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office has announced that in preparation of Halloween, Operation Porch Light was initiated, which was a county-wide compliance check of all Violent Predators, Sexually Violent Predators and Offenders Against Children. The operation was conducted on Wednesday, October 23 with deputies from the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office, investigators from the La Porte and Michigan City Police Departments, Fugitive Apprehension Street Team, La Porte County Drug Task Force, Gary Parole District, Indiana State Police and United States Marshals Service participating in the sex offender compliance check. Eighty-seven (87) of the classified and registered Violent Predators, Sexually

Franciscan Physician Network welcomed its newest location with a blessing of the Legacy Hills Health Center in LaPorte. Meanwhile, construction is progressing nearby at the new Franciscan Beacon Hospital.Josh Schoon, project manager for Tonn and Blank Construction said he expects the enclosure of Franciscan Beacon Hospital to be complete by the end of October with overall construction finishing in spring 2020. Once completed, Franciscan Beacon Hospital will comprise about 28,000 square feet of new construction and include an approximate 19,000-square-foot renovation of the current space at 900 I Street. The hospital will feature a full-service, 10-bed emergency department, eight inpatient

Mayor Ron Meer and Police Chief Mark Swistek met Thursday morning along with Assistant Chiefs Royce Williams and Kevin Urbanczyk. The police chiefs tendered their resignations to the Mayor; however, they assured the Mayor they will continue to serve the community as chiefs until their successors are chosen. The Mayor and police chiefs want to reassure the public there will be no gap in police protection or coverage to the City during this transition. The Mayor has regrettably accepted their resignations Once their successors are chosen, it is anticipated the three chiefs will return to their former rank within the

Earlier today, 33 year old Travis E. Hatchel, was located and arrested at a residence within the Countryside Village Mobile Home Community at the 1000 block of South Mayflower Road, in South Bend.  Hatchel had been a wanted person by the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office and St. Joseph County authorities. In addition, he was being sought for his involvement in the vehicle pursuit that occurred on October 21st in La Porte County.  Hatchel is currently being held in the La Porte County Jail without bond. 

Several weeks ago, the Sheriff’s Office Administration learned that throughout the week of October 7th, US 421 was being closed to thru traffic in New Durham and Coolspring Townships for an improvement project. As the closure approached, administrators recognized there would be an increase in motor and commercial vehicular traffic along surrounding county roadways. Because of this, the three (3) patrol shifts and the commercial motor vehicle deputy were called upon to increase their visibility and enforcement efforts in the general area.The statistics have been complied and the following are the results of this traffic enforcement project. In total, 92

The City of Michigan City would like to announce that the annual coat drive is now underway.  Citizens can drop off new, and or, gently worn coats and snow suits at Concord Cleaners.  Concord Cleaners will clean and then deliver the coats and snow suits to the Michigan Township Trustees Office where they will be available, to those in need, beginning immediately.  The coat drive will continue throughout the winter season.    “There is a large need for this yearly campaign in our community; I would like to thank our citizens for their generosity and also Michigan Township Trustee Rodney

Downtown businesses will be offering trick or treating for Duneland families this year on Friday, October 25, from 4-6 pm. Parents and their children should look for purple flyers in the windows of participating businesses along Indian Boundary, Calumet, and Broadway in Chesterton. The Duneland Chamber will be handing out candy along with other local businesses in the chamber parking lot as well. “Last year, we welcomed over 1,000 local children and their families to this trick-or-treating event,” says Maura Durham, the Chamber’s President. “The streets were filled with little superheroes, witches, monsters, and ghosts. It was fantastic! We enjoy

Collaboration expands study abroad opportunities, other programs Purdue University Northwest's (PNW) College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (CHESS) has agreed to collaborate with a university in Vietnam to allow for the exchange of students and the development of special programs that benefit both institutions.  The agreement came about as a result of the International Conference on Innovations in the Social Sciences and Humanities at Ton Duc Thang University in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in early October. PNW’s CHESS was a co-sponsor of the event with Leipzig University (Germany); National Chiao Tung University (Taiwan); University of Warwick (England), and the

Indiana Executive Director for Drug Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement Jim McClelland announced today that three regional partnerships have been awarded funds to complete recovery networks and seek designation as comprehensive addiction recovery networks. “Governor Eric J. Holcomb has called for an all-hand-on deck approach to combat the drug crisis and communities all across Indiana have stepped forward,” McClelland said. “We appreciate the Indiana General Assembly’s work to help more people enter recovery through comprehensive addiction recovery networks that will meet people with substance use disorders where they are, assess their needs and connect them to the full continuum of evidence-based