Local News

Governor Holcomb and Indiana Department of Natural Resources director Cameron Clark recently announced details of the second round of the Next Level Trails grant program, including three workshops in August for interested applicants.  Next Level Trails, which will dedicate $90 million of State funds over the life of the program, is the largest infusion of trail funding in state history. The grant program is divided into two components: a $70 million fund for regional projects and a $20 million fund for local projects. Each requires a minimum 20 percent project match, which can include monetary contributions, land value, and in-kind

This week, Senator Mike Braun, Senator Todd Young, Representative Pete Visclosky (IN01), Representative Jackie Walorski (IN-02), Representative Jim Banks (IN-03), and others around the state introduced legislation honoring the 50th Anniversary of the return of the Indiana Rangers. An official statement from the Press Office of Senator Mike Braun explained,  “The Indiana Rangers and all members of the armed forces who served in the Vietnam War continue to be held in the highest possible regard by their community and the United States; we honor the service of this unit on the 50th anniversary of the return of the Indiana Rangers;

The number of working Hoosiers continues to climb in 2019, as the state hit record private employment in June.The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) reported on July 19 that private employment last month preliminarily hit 2,750,700—a new high for the state and besting the previous record set in February.Private employment in Indiana grew by 37,000, or 1.4% year-over-year, when the number stood at 2,713,700 in June 2018. Indiana’s unemployment rate also improved, preliminarily declining to 3.5% in June after sitting at 3.6% the previous three months. In addition, the state’s labor force participation rate in June stood at 64.8% and

Seniors can receive free medical screenings and healthcare information provided by Franciscan Health during Senior Citizens Day on Monday, Aug. 5, at the Lake County Fair.Screenings will be available 9AM to noon in the Senior Pavilion. A diagnostic screening specialist will be available to help better understand treatment options for peripheral artery disease (PAD).Health screenings and information will include balance assessment, blood glucose, blood pressure, body fat analysis, cardiovascular/heart health, diabetes education, early heart attack care, lung and breast health, pulmonary function, skin cancer spot check and stroke awareness. Seniors will also be able to learn more about Franciscan Health’s

Norfolk Southern will be closing the railroad crossing at US Highway 12 & Hillcrest Road between July 29th and August 2nd. You can use the US Steel Bridge to access Ogden Dunes.

Attorney General Curtis Hill this week hosted crime prevention forums in Jeffersonville and Evansville as part of a listening tour visiting 14 cities across the Hoosier state. The purpose of the tour is to facilitate conversations aimed at developing solutions to residents’ crime-related concerns. The tour kicked off last month in Fort Wayne and will continue next month in Gary and Lafayette. The Office of the Attorney General will collect feedback at each forum and present findings at the office’s 10th Annual Drug Abuse Symposium on Oct. 29-30.

Earlier this week, the Indiana State Board of Education (Board) met for a short business meeting. The Board unanimously passed a resolution regarding charter school closure protocols. The resolution reminds Indiana Virtual School, Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy, and Daleville Community Schools of their statutory requirements should they cease operations to ensure a smooth and orderly closure and transition to protect the students.Board members voted to approve the Indiana Department of Education’s recommended performance standards, or cut scores, for ILEARN and I AM. School corporations will receive student performance results on August 15th. 

The fourth annual Prairie Magic Music Festival at Sunset Hill Park is set to take place on Aug. 17. Rock legends Los Lobos are heading out all the way to Northwest Indiana from Los Angeles to perform as headliners at the music festival. Prairie Magic Musical Festival is a celebration of rock, Americana and blues music, and will provide food vendors, a beer garden, free water on-site all day and children’s activities. Doors open at 12 p.m. and the music begins at 1 p.m. Also performing in the festival lineup are Robbie Fulks, Bottle Rockets and Big Road. The official

The northbound ramps connecting I-65 and 109th Avenue in Crown Point have reopened as northbound traffic is now flowing in the northbound right lane and shoulder. In the coming weeks, the southbound ramps at 109th will close. 

State Road 39 will close Monday between Joliet Road and U.S. 6 in LaPorte County for chip seal operations. Weather permitting, the road is anticipated to reopen by Tuesday evening.

South Shore Line service updates will be in effect to accommodate passengers attending Lollapalooza, which is taking place Thursday, Aug. 1, through Sunday, Aug. 4, in Grant Park.Bikes will not be permitted on South Shore trains Aug. 1-4. All available space will be needed to provide service for additional passengers.On Thursday & Friday, alcohol will not be permitted on South Shore trains after 7 p.m. Glass bottles are always prohibited.-Millennium Station ticket agent hours will be extended until 6:30 p.m.-Alcohol will not be permitted on South Shore trains all day Saturday/Sunday. Please be advised that glass bottles are always prohibited.As

A group of Indiana artists is getting financial support to turn their creative outlet into a business venture. The Indiana Arts Commission says 33 creative entrepreneurs will receive funding through IAC’s On-Ramp 2019 Fellowship. The fellows are part of an entrepreneur accelerator class where they learn skills necessary to run a business. “Like most creatives, I have experienced stress relating to financial knowledge, business law, marketing skills, and overall personal confidence,” said On-Ramp fellow Olivia Ulch. She says the skills learned during the three-day course alleviated those fears. IAC says each participant was eligible to request up to $2,000 to implement

The Burns Harbor Town Wide Yard Sale is tomorrow and Saturday, July 27 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Find a map for this event online at burnsharbor-in.gov . Printed maps are also available at the Burns Harbor Town Hall, 1240 N. Boo Road, in Burns Harbor.  

This week Fugitive Apprehension Street Team (FAST) officers traveled to Tupelo, Mississippi and Carbondale, Illinois to return two fugitives who had fled from justice and law enforcement officials for lengthy periods of time. Juan Burdine was recently apprehended in Tupelo for a Dealing Cocaine. Burdine remains housed in the La Porte County Jail on a $20,005 cash-only bond through La Porte County Circuit Court. Tiffani Coates was recently apprehended in Carbondale for a Robbery, and Auto Theft. Coates remains housed in the La Porte County Jail on a $25,005 cash-only bond through La Porte Circuit Court. Both fugitives had been sought by FAST

The Office of the Dean of the College of Business is pleased to announce Godwin-Charles Ogbeide, Ph.D., as the next director of the White Lodging School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) at Purdue University Northwest (PNW) . Ogbeide comes to PNW after having served as an associate professor and director of strategy and hospitality and founding director of the Events and Tourism Institute (ETI) at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).  Ogbeide is vice president and immediate past president of the Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (CHRIE), a nonprofit association working to promote global education, research, service and business in

Rural and volunteer fire departments from 46 counties have been awarded more than $297,000 in Volunteer Fire Assistance grants. DNR Forestry staff reviewed grant applications and selected recipients on the basis of population density, acres of public wildlands protected, and wildland fire reporting to DNR Fire Control Headquarters. Grants may be used for training, installation of dry hydrants, or to purchase necessary firefighting equipment and gear to combat wildland fires. As in past years, the Wildland Fire category was highlighted.  The awarded grants range from $1,500 to $5,000 and were given to 71 departments. Fire departments interested in applying for VFA grants should

Law enforcement officials from throughout LaPorte County gathered on Tuesday with organizers of the Bolt for the Heart Family 5K to tout the effort to bring lifesaving automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) to every squad car in the county. The inaugural Bolt for the Heart 5K Family Run/Walk, presented by Franciscan Health, will be 8AM on Sunday, Sept. 8th in Washington Park. The eight law enforcement departments in LaPorte County are partnering with Bolt for the Heart and Play for Jake in this event, where 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward the goal of placing AEDs in police cars

The ramp connecting westbound I-94 to southbound I-65 will close Monday, July 29, for approximately one week. Crews will be working on a bridge deck overlay and doing joint repairs. The detour will have drivers use the ramps at SR 53 (Broadway) to get to eastbound I-94 and access southbound I-65.

Indiana State Police (ISP) and Portage Police Department have each received a report about a possible police impersonator who came into contact with two different women within nine days of each other. ISP received a report of a female who was stopped on I-65 south bound at the 249 mile marker (109th Street exit-Crown Point) on July 8th at approximately 9:50 p.m., she stated that the vehicle was a late model black/dark blue Ford Crown Victoria with red/blue lights inside the windshield.  The male white driver, described as older, with short gray hair and a moustache, wearing brown/khaki pants with a

The LCSO is partnering with Bolt for the Heart, a Carmel based non-profit organization, Franciscan Health and the Play for Jake Foundation, for a Family 5K Run/Walk. The event will be Sunday, September 8th, at 9AM, in Washington Park. The event will assist by raising awareness of heart disease and equip EVERY police vehicle in La Porte County with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).To learn more and sign up check out www.boltfortheheart.com