Local News

Construction has officially begun on the new, land-based Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary. Officials last week broke ground on the $300 million casino, which was approved by the Indiana General Assembly last year. The groundbreaking included representatives from Hard Rock International, state and local officials, and three members of the Jackson 5, who are from Gary. The 200,000-square-foot complex will include 1,650 slot machines and 80 table games; a sportsbook and bar; six restaurants, including a Hard Rock Cafe; a Rock Shop retail store and a 2,000-seat Hard Rock Live venue, according to the publication. A Hard Rock

During the Friday afternoon lunches at Valparaiso High School, students were overheard discussing a potential bomb threat within the school. School staff and law enforcement were immediately notified by those students who had heard the comments and an investigation ensued. The students were quickly identified and spoken with. The threat was found to have no credibility and the students admitted to be joking about any such action.  School officials and the Valparaiso Police Department are confident the school is safe for normal operations. VPD is advising parents to educate your children about the dangers of making any such statements regarding school

Friday morning at approximately just before 10:30 a.m., the Indiana State Police Regional Dispatch Center in Lowell received a report of a subject displaying a firearm on I-94 in Porter County.  Troopers located the suspect vehicle and initiated a traffic stop for speeding on I-80 near Burr Street. Further investigation revealed that the suspect was in possession of a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun.  Trooper Potesta determined that 31 year old Steven D. Krucina, of Valparaiso, had been cut off by the driver of a silver Honda SUV in the area of I-94 and State Road 249. In response,

The Michigan City and La Porte communities will be the location of two wellness screenings provided by the Wellness Outreach department of La Porte Hospital. Screenings offered include a blood glucose screening and a depression screening.  Information about cervical cancer will also be available. These events are free and registration is not required. Stop by between 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. for screenings and to chat with a wellness coach.  Wednesday, January 15: Wellness Screening in the lobby of the Physician Offices at 3777 N. Frontage Road, Michigan City, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.Tuesday, January 21:  Wellness Screening in the Lobby

On January 8th, 2020 at approximately 11:00 A.M.; a male subject entered Charley’s Eastside Liquors located at 1509 E. Michigan Blvd. with a portion of his face covered and a blunt force object in his hand.  This male subject demanded money from the cashier, which she supplied.  The suspect took an amount of United States Currency and fled from the store.  Initial responding officers gathered all the evidence that was observed from the scene, including obtaining images from the liquor stores video surveillance system.  The immediate area was searched, and the suspect was not located.  Images that were obtained from

Honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by becoming a volunteer at one of Indiana’s DNR properties this year. DNR provides a variety of ways for citizens to make a difference in maintaining, improving, and restoring Indiana’s natural and cultural heritage. Several opportunities are available, including maintaining trails, helping in nature centers, sharing photography or artwork. DNR also welcomes citizens to bring their own unique talents to a volunteer opportunity. This is a great time to explore the DNR volunteer website for more information at on.IN.gov/dnrvolunteer. On Jan. 20, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, some properties will have self-directed

The public invited to bring their “brown bag” lunch and learn a little about gardening during four sessions presented by La Porte County Master Gardeners. The four sessions will focus on aspects of gardening from local food, attracting pollinators, landscape design, to learning about Potager gardens.At the first session in the Brown Bag Gardening Series on Wednesday, January 15, a panel of local food growers will be present. The public is invited. The fee is just $5 for each session, which includes informational handouts, or $15 for all four sessions. No need to pre-register; just show up. For more information

The La Porte County Drug Task Force (LCDTF), announced the seizure of 52 illegally possessed handguns in 2019. These efforts were joint operations involving the Laporte County Drug Task Force (LCDTF), the ATF and the DEA. In late 2018, Laporte County, especially the Michigan City area, experienced an outbreak of gun violence, including several homicides. Many of the shootings were a direct result of Illegal gun possession. Administrators from the involved departments and agencies met and agreed that Illegal gun possession in LaPorte County was extremely high on the priority list. A gun eradication effort began on December 12th, 2018.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) announced the three teams that have been selected to participate in the agency's first HOME Investment Partnerships Program Innovation Round and Project Development Training. The program will invest up to $6 million towards primarily the new construction of single-family homes in Elkhart, Hamilton and LaPorte counties. For LaPorte County the project lead is Housing Opportunities, Inc. in Michigan City. In October, IHCDA issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking to select up to three non-profit respondents to propose an innovative affordable housing project to target an unmet need through the development of

Michigan City police announced on Thursday that an arrest has been made involving a robbery that occurred at Charlie's Eastside Liquors Wednesday. Police are waiting on the filing of formal charges before releasing further details. Additional details will be released today.

Radon, a radioactive gas that occurs naturally in most soil, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer among smokers and the number-one cause among non-smokers. It is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year, according to EPA estimates. January is National Radon Action Month, and the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) is urging homeowners to test their homes for radon because this tasteless, colorless and odorless gas can build up in homes without residents’ knowledge. Indiana residents can purchase a short-term test kit for as little as $15 from the American Lung Association

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced additional recipients of K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Acceleration Grants. Due to the availability of additional funding, IDOE opened a second round of awards for the 2019-2020 school year. For the second round, a total of 24 school districts received Indiana’s STEM Acceleration Grant. Locally LaPorte Community School Corporation is receiving $52,745. South Central Community School Corporation is receiving $40,000 and School City of Hammond is receiving $70,000. To view of list of additional 2019 STEM Acceleration Grant Recipients, please visit: www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/news/2019-stem-acceleration-grant-recipients-second-round.pdf.

Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, ahead of the 2020 primaries and general election, is joining fellow members of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) in the #TrustedInfo2020 education effort to encourage citizens to look to their state and local election officials as the trusted sources of election information. The nation's Secretaries of State, 40 of whom serve as their state’s chief election official, along with other state and local election officials are continuously working to inform Americans about the elections process, including voter registration, state election laws, polling place locations, voting and much more. Secretary Lawson’s office

More details have been provided on the crash that occurred on State Road 2 in eastern LaPorte County on Tuesday. Deputies Corey Chavez and Josh Smith were providing traffic control on State Road 2 at CR 600 East. Deputy Smith was blocking the eastbound lanes and Deputy Chavez was blocking the westbound lanes. The deputies had traffic stopped in both directions on SR 2 while a tower of an irrigation system was being moved from one location to another. A semi-tractor trailer traveling eastbound on SR 2 drove around the stopped traffic and into a turn lane. The semi-tractor narrowly

SNOW REMOVAL CONDITIONS Without jinxing anything, we have been very fortunate with the snow conditions this winter. However, Mayor Parry would like to remind the citizens of Michigan City about our city ordinances regarding snow removal and parking restrictions.  When winter weather arrives, it is important to understand and follow snow removal guidelines for everyone’s safety.  Below are explanations of terms you may hear this winter season.  A “snow removal condition” is a formal declaration made by Mayor Parry, department head for the street department, or the Mayor’s designee.  A snow removal condition is made when actual or expected precipitation

The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office reported that yesterday both westbound lanes of SR 2 at CR 600 East closed for for over an hour due to  a property damage crash investigation. There were no injuries. 

Recently Attorney General Curtis Hill said in an advisory opinion that The Indiana State Egg Board has no authority to regulate as retailers third-party websites that facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers of eggs. Attorney General Hill issued the opinion following an inquiry from the Indiana State Egg Board regarding an online business called Market Wagon that enables customers to connect with local agricultural producers.Although Market Wagon maintains physical warehouses, all transactions for eggs between vendors and customers occur online, and Market Wagon itself never assumes ownership of the eggs. After a vendor fulfills the customer’s order, the vendor brings

Candidates seeking public office this year may begin filing their declarations of candidacy for the 2020 Primary Election today. Candidates for federal or state office will file with the Secretary of State or Indiana Election Division. Local candidates will file with the county election board. Filing will remain open until 12:00pm local time on Friday, February 7th.A candidate seeking nomination by a major political party may file, as well as independent or minor party candidates and state convention delegates. Candidates for President or Governor may begin filing petitions of nomination with county voter registration offices for verification of petition signatures.(More

On Monday January 6th, 2020; MCPD sworn in eight (8) Probationary Officers at a ceremony at the City Hall Council Chambers.  These Probationary Officers had undergone an extensive hiring process which began with over 30 potential candidates who completed applications and began the hiring process.  These 8 Probationary Officers will endure 6 weeks of in-house training with the Division of Professional Standards.  Upon completion of this training, they will begin the Field Training Officer Program where they will be working within the community with their respective training officers until spaces are available for them to attend the Indiana Law Enforcement

U-Haul says Indiana is a growth state for the third consecutive year, climbing to the #9 spot in the U.S. U-Haul bases its conclusion on one-way rentals leaving the state, compared to those entering the state, by analyzing 2 million one-way U-Haul truck transactions. The company says Indiana climbed 17 spots from its 2018 ranking. It says there was a larger portion of arrivals in Indiana than departures. Neighboring Illinois leads the nation in out-migration with the largest net losses of moving trucks crossing state borders. It’s followed by California and Michigan. To view the complete list, visit: https://myuhaulstory.com/2020/01/06/uhaul-names-top-growth-states-2019-florida-new-1/