Local News

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 430 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 6,351 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total. A total of 245 Hoosiers have died to date. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by ISDH and occurred over multiple days. To date, 32,133 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 30,869 on Monday. Marion County had the most

Michigan City Police Detectives have been working tirelessly over the past several days attempting to locate the suspects responsible for the April 5th shooting death of Sirus Scott. Over the course of the investigation, Detective/Sergeant Royce Williams was able to secure charges on two individuals.On Tuesday, 20 year old Christopher Deal, of Michigan City was arrested and charged with Aiding, Inducing, or Causing Murder. Deal is currently being held at the La Porte County Jail with no bond.Yesterday, 22 year old Mark A. Wright Jr., of Michigan City was arrested after a short foot pursuit in the area of Lafayette

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) announced new housing resources available to Hoosiers struggling to pay their rent and mortgage payments. In addition to re-instituting the mortgage payment assistance program through Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund (HHF) for homeowners, IHCDA has developed a new resource guide to help homeowners and renters avoid future eviction and foreclosure. The mortgage payment assistance program through Indiana’s HHF can provide up to $30,000 to eligible Indiana homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage. Hoosier homeowners may be eligible for mortgage payment assistance if they: Are an Indiana homeowner; Own only one mortgaged home, and

Swanson Center, like the many others, is concerned by the threat presented by COVID-19 to their clients, staff and stakeholders.  With the health and well-being of their community being a main priority, we have put system-wide strategies in place to reduce the risk of exposure, allowing our staff to respond effectively and efficiently, both now and in the event the current threat level escalates. “Swanson Center remains fully operational, with our staff continuing to serve our clients and community,” said CEO Dan Peck, “We recognize that this is a very challenging time for all and want to make sure that

Mayor Tom Dermody (second from left) and La Porte Hospital officials thank Wattos Scrapyard owners Shawn Fear and Laura Milton for their donation of over 30 face shields on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, in La Porte. Fear produced the shields on his 3-D printer to help protect local healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pictured from left to right: City Councilman Tim Franke, Dermody, Physician Executive of Emergency and Hospitalist Services Dr. James Leonard, La Porte Hospital CEO Ashley Dickinson, Milton and daughter Arya, and Fear. -30-

The Indiana Department of Transportation announced today the launch of a temporary program to permit licensed food trucks to operate at rest area locations on Indiana interstate highways to provide food and beverage options for commercial truck drivers and motorists engaged in essential travel during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The program will provide needed options for truck drivers, many of whom are reporting limited availability of food and beverages options near highways across the country due to restaurants and other businesses following public health guidelines in place to slow the spread of COVID-19, including closing dining rooms and in

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 439 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 5,943 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total. A total of 203 Hoosiers have died to date. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by ISDH and occurred over multiple days. To date, 30,869 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 28,764 on Monday. Marion County had the most

Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) has given more than half a million dollars in emergency grants to various local groups working to meet the needs of the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, as of Monday, April 6. The HFL COVID-19 Emergency Grants Plan was approved on Wednesday, March 25, by the HFL board of directors. The Emergency Grants Plan has two phases, the first of which will address immediate needs and will run through May 30; the second phase will address long-term effects, including recovery-efforts funding. During Phase 1, organizations can request between $1,000 and $50,000 to help their

Attorney General Curtis Hill is opposing efforts by the American Civil Liberties Union to bring about the release of inmates held in Indiana jails and prisons amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In a petition filed March 30, the ACLU declared that the Indiana Supreme Court should engage in “emergency rulemaking” in order to enable certain inmates to leave correctional facilities and “shelter at home” during the current public health emergency. This week, Attorney General Hill filed a memorandum with the court opposing the ACLU’s position.The Indiana Constitution expressly recognizes the separation of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches,

Today, Mayor Duane Parry issued an Executive Order declaring a “Local Disaster Emergency in the City of Michigan City” and has implemented measures attempting to reduce and eliminate the spread of COVID-19.    This Order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, April 8, 2020, and shall conclude at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, unless the Common Council extends the Mayor’s Executive Order to 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 4, 2020.   Please refer to the attached Executive Order 04-2020 for specific details. This order includes but is not limited to: A Stay at Home or Place of Residence

La Porte citizens should not flush anything but toilet paper down the toilet, according to Wastewater Department Director Jerry Jackson. With toilet paper shelves empty across the country, Jackson said many are resorting to other options like “flushable” wipes. However, Jackson said these wipes do not break down the same as toilet paper and can cause blockages in the city’s wastewater system, as well as customers’ pipes. He said this can result in costly plumbing bills for citizens. “Though they are often marketed as ‘flushable,’ these wipes can lead to serious back-ups in our city’s sewer system,” Jackson said. “With

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 568 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 5,507 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total. A total of 173 Hoosiers have died to date. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by ISDH and occurred over multiple days. To date, 28,764 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 26,192 on Monday. Marion County had the most

The City of La Porte will extend its free rides through the end of April, according to La Porte Transporte Manager Beth West. West said the goal of the extension is to continue helping members of the community with essential travel through the ongoing pandemic. For the health and safety of both drivers and passengers, rides to grocery stores and pharmacies will be limited to Tuesdays and Thursdays only.West said Transporte will continue providing free rides to medical appointments Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All other nonessential travel will cease through the end of April. Good

Sunday afternoon in The Merrillville area, State Trooper Alissa Partyka was dispatched to a two-vehicle property damage crash on I-65 southbound at the 255 mile-marker.  Investigation at the scene showed that a Ford Mustang rear-ended a Ford F150 truck at a high rate of speed.  The Mustang sustained substantial front-end damage.  Several witnesses to the crash stopped or called to report the driving behavior of the Mustang prior to the crash.  Those witnesses all stated that the Mustang had been racing a green sport bike prior to the crash.  Both vehicles were reportedly passing on the shoulders, weaving in and

Also extends orders limiting state government services and restaurant, bar restrictions Governor Eric J. Holcomb today issued a new two-week Stay At Home order designed to limit interactions among Hoosiers to increase containment of COVID-19. As of today, 4,944 people have tested positive and 139 people have died from the disease. There are now positive tests in 89 of 92 counties. Click here to see the executive order: https://www.in.gov/gov/2384.htm As a part of this action, Gov. Holcomb also extended for two weeks the orders that limit in-person public activity at state government offices and put restrictions on the operation of restaurants,

During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, scammers are putting extra effort into preying upon Hoosiers distracted by the ongoing crisis, Attorney General Curtis Hill said today — including by sending fraudulent emails falsely appearing to come from reputable sources. This practice is known as “phishing.” Two recent examples of such phishing scams include 1) an email that appeared to come from Amazon and 2) a message to church members that appeared to come from their pastor. The fake Amazon email sought to induce recipients to provide personal financial information — likely trying to capitalize on the fact that consumers are frequently using

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) today, in partnership with Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations (IPBS) announced a partnership to offer at-home learning experiences for K-12 students, aligned to Indiana curriculum standards. “Providing our students with access to high-quality and evidence-based materials is critical during this extended time of out-of-school learning,” said Indiana State Superintendent Dr. Jennifer McCormick. “I am grateful for IPBS and their local television affiliates for partnering with us to create engaging educational experiences for Indiana’s children.” Developed with the input of educators, PBS LearningMedia offers free, Indiana standards-aligned resources contextualized for educational use. The resources include grab-and-go

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 536 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 4,944 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total.　 A total of 139 Hoosiers have died to date. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by ISDH and occurred over multiple days.　 To date, 26,191 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 22,652 on Sunday.　 Marion County had the most

Now that spring is nearly upon us, it’s time to get out and enjoy nature again. Go! Packs are designed to help you enjoy the outdoors at Indiana State Park properties and save money. The Go! Pack includes a 2020 resident Annual Entrance Permit, a drawstring backpack for holding snacks and water while hiking the trails, and the option of either a $40 State Park Inns gift card or a $40 camping gift card for state park campgrounds. Go! Packs are also available for residents 65 and older, Disabled Hoosier Veterans, and Indiana residents who receive or are eligible to

On Sunday morning shortly before 8:00am, officers from the Indiana State Police, Fort Wayne Police Department, and the Allen County Police Department became involved in a high speed vehicle pursuit on Allen County’s west side. This pursuit eventually turned in to a barricaded standoff in the suspect’s vehicle after stopping in the 8500 block of SR14, west of Hadley Rd. The Fort Wayne Police Department SWAT team was called in to coordinate and successfully resolve the situation. The incident first began after an ISP Trooper observed a white Toyota passenger car traveling west on Washington Center Road near Lima Road