Local News

Horizon Bank of Michigan City has bolstered the Franciscan Health Foundation’s efforts to fight the coronavirus in Northwest Indiana with its latest donation. The bank has pledged $12,500 to the new Franciscan Preparedness & Response Fund. The donation will be a match to local gifts provided to the fund, which helps address the urgent need for supplies and equipment in healthcare facilities. The $12,500 is in addition to $250,000 pledged by Horizon Bank for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds are being allocated across several not-for-profit groups working to assist communities Horizon serves in Indiana and Michigan. The public

Indiana has secured $130.4 million from tobacco product manufacturers this year under the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, Attorney General Curtis Hill announced recently. Since the inception of this settlement agreement in 1998, Indiana has now received a total of $2.78 billion. Under the agreement, the state will continue to receive payments in perpetuity, as long as the tobacco manufacturers continue selling cigarettes in Indiana. The attorneys general of 46 states and six U.S. territories originally participated in the settlement agreement. The settlement agreement resolved lawsuits against the four largest tobacco manufacturers that aimed to recover billions of dollars in state

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) announced that 634 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 15,012 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total. A total of 813 Hoosiers have been confirmed to have died of COVID-19. Another 88 probable deaths have been reported. Probable deaths are those for which a physician listed COVID-19 as a contributing cause based on X-rays, scans and other clinical symptoms but for which

It was with great sadness leadership at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility (WVCF) reported that on Saturday, April 25 67 year old Correctional Officer Gary Weinke succumbed to complications of COVID-19. This was the first death of a state correctional officer as a result of contracting COIVD-19. Officer Weinke began his career at WVCF as a Stores Clerk in the Commissary Department on March 26, 2007. He later transferred to custody. He was assigned to the I-Bracket as a relief officer working several posts throughout the facility. Officer Weinke eventually found his home working the pod in the Special Confinement

Michigan City High School has determined that an in-person ceremony with 360+ graduates (and thousands of guests) is not possible, regardless of the venue or the date. As a result, MCHS is planning a virtual graduation ceremony, followed by a “drive-through” pick up of your diploma. The virtual ceremony will take place at the time and date originally scheduled for graduation: Sunday, June 7 at 12:00 noon. This virtual celebration will be broadcast live on their website, Facebook, YouTube, and Channel 98. (It will be also available online for viewing later.) This ceremony will be starring the students in their cap and

"Today (April 24, 2020) Indiana Packers Corporation in Delphi announced a temporary shutdown of their pork processing facilities.  This voluntary shutdown, combined with the voluntary shutdown of the Tyson Foods plant in Logansport, is a severe blow to pig farmers who may not have any other place to market their hogs." "Indiana Pork recognizes the need for these plants to  take special precautions to ensure worker safety.  In the long run, if that's what it takes to make sure plant employees are safe and plants can continue to operate then it's all worth it.  In the meantime though, these temporary shutdowns and

It's the LIVE STREAM SPECIAL on Thursday April 30th at 7pm featuring a ton of great performances. Check it out on 102.5FM/AM 1060 the WHFB tunein app along with FACEBOOK. Presented by JELLIEFISH PRODUCTIONS and WHFB

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 656 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 13,680 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total. A total of 741 Hoosiers have died to date. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by ISDH and occurred over multiple days. To date, 75,553 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 72,040 on Thursday. Marion County had the most

Beechwood Golf Course is set to reopen May 1, according to City of La Porte Park Superintendent Mark Schreiber. Despite golf courses having the ability to remain open under Governor Eric Holcomb’s stay-at-home order, Schreiber said Beechwood closed April 4 out of an abundance of caution. He said as the weather warms up and the state’s economy gradually begins to reopen, golfers have the all-clear to head to the course as long as they take the necessary safety precautions. “During the stay-at-home order, we needed to prioritize the community’s health, and the health of our employees,” Schreiber said. “We now

South Shore Maker Faire 2020 CANCELLED With events across the nation being canceled or postponed this summer, local partners pulling support, and the understanding that it is the correct response to keep our community, families, and volunteers safe and healthy, we are canceling this year's Maker Faire due to the CoVid virus. We are committed to making this an annual premiere event in La Porte County for our region. As soon as we can, we will start planning for the 2021 Maker Faire! Please be on the lookout for next year's information and continue being Maker Leaders of our community. Best wishes

The Indiana Sheriffs’ Association announces a decision has been made to cancel this year’s ISA Youth Leadership Camps for 2020.  With the recent COVID-19 Emergency we feel this is the best decision for all.  This would have been the ISA’s 41st year to facilitate the ISA Youth Leadership Camps.   The Indiana Sheriffs Youth Leadership Camp, founded in 1979, was established by sheriffs in order to aid and enhance the development of the state’s youth. Originally called the Indiana Sheriffs Career Camp, the camp’s name was changed in 2003 to go along with a new curriculum. The program is designed to

DNR fisheries staff have been busy in recent days stocking thousands of trout in preparation for the opening of inland stream trout season this Saturday at 6 a.m. local time.By opening day, DNR will have stocked over 23,000 rainbow trout in 17 streams in 12 different counties. To find a stocked stream near you, see the 2020 Trout Stocking Plan at wildlife.IN.gov/5457.htm.

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 394 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 12,438 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total. The new cases and new tests reported today are lower than expected due to a technology issue and should not be interpreted as a decline in new infections. The additional positive cases not included in today’s report will be captured in the coming days

Send notes, cards and drawings for posting on hospital Gratitude WallsRight now, hospital employees are working harder than ever before. Whether it’s doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, housekeeping, supply chain or dietary, teams of dedicated individuals are working around the clock and doing their part to save lives.At the same time, Franciscan Health has been blessed by an outpouring of support, from children’s drawings to donations of needed equipment and parades of first responders. These simple gestures confirm something we’ve long known: Public health is truly a partnership between the community and the healthcare facilities that serve them.Now, that partnership is

Mayor Tom Dermody thanks local business Kendall Electric for their donation of 90 face shields on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, in La Porte. The company assembled the shields to help protect local healthcare professionals and other essential frontline workers during the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured from left to right: Linsey Shafer, Jack Carter, Dawn Nepsha, Patrick Cantanzarite and Dermody

AN EXPLANATION OF GOVERNOR HOLCOMB’S RECENT EXECUTIVE ORDER Mayor Parry would like to clear up any confusion on the latest Governor’s Executive Order issued on 4-20-20. This Order is in effect through 11:59pm on May 1st. The Mayor’s Order which was recently approved and extended by our City Council, is in effect until 11:59pm on May 6th. As the law allows, City government is allowed to make the Governor’s Order stronger yet not weaker. For example, we presently have a curfew in Michigan City from 10:00pm to 5:00am,where this is not a County-wide or State-wide order.The Governor has relaxed a

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 431 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 12,097 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total. The new cases and new tests reported today are lower than expected due to a technology issue and should not be interpreted as a decline in new infections. The additional positive cases not included in today’s report will be captured in the coming days and

Indiana Toll Road Concession Company, the operator of the Indiana Toll Road, is establishing the Indiana Toll Road – School Food Relief Fund, a $100,000 grant to help offset the costs of school backpack food programs.In Indiana, over 47% of students receive their meals for free or at a reduced price through the National School Lunch Program. Many schools engage in a weekend food distribution, commonly referred to as “Backpack & Snacks” programs. This Food Relief Fund will directly support those students who may be going without food on weekends during the COVID-19 crisis.Each chosen district or organization will receive

Yesterday, Governor Holcomb issued a revised Stay At Home order that lasts through May 1st and is designed to limit interactions among Hoosiers to increase containment of COVID-19. As a part of this action, Gov. Holcomb also extended through May 1st the orders that limit in-person public activity at state government offices and put restrictions on the operation of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. The Critical Industries Hotline continues to be available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday to respond to business and industry questions about whether a business is considered essential. The center may be reached

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office announces the arrest of 66 year old Danial Andrews of rural Kankakee Township.On April 1st, Deputy William Masterson was dispatched to a residence located in the 2800 North block of Abraham Court to assist an employee from the Indiana Department of Child Services with a welfare check. While on scene, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division were contacted for further assistance. Detective Gabe Struss was assigned the incident for further investigation.On April 13th, Detective Struss conferred with La Porte County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Julianne Havens regarding the findings of the investigation. On April 16th,