Local News

Horizon Bank Minority Scholarship Program awards eleven students with $1000 scholarships. Yolanda Davis, Vice President, Community Reinvestment Act Officer, presented the scholarships during the Urban League of Northwest Indiana, Inc. Annual Scholastic Achievement Awards Luncheon on May 21, 2019.   The following students were awarded scholarships: Christopher French, Matthew Olchawa, Amanda Sparks, Antonio Mistretta, Dimetrious Poston, Sydney Starks, Yatziri Moreno, Faith Spencer, Jairo Cazares, Jamon Cavanaugh and Sylvia Williams.  “Horizon is committed to investing in the future of minority students’ education. We are pleased to provide these deserving students with scholarship money in hopes that after graduation they return to the

Yesterday, Attorney General Curtis Hill joined federal authorities at a Chicago press conference announcing a national robocalling sweep organized by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In “Operation Call it Quits,” the FTC and its law enforcement partners announced 94 actions targeting operations around the country.Attorney General Hill was the only state attorney general attending the national press conference in Chicago.At the press conference, Attorney General Hill also discussed his office’s recent civil complaint against a Maryland company and two individuals after receiving dozens of consumer complaints.Of the consumers who complained to the Office of the Attorney General, all but one

Residents of the city’s Eastport neighborhood enjoyed the first lesson in a series of healthy cooking classes using ingredients grown in the Walker Park Community Garden.The inaugural class on June 20 was taught at the garden by Chef Erik Tannehill, who demonstrated the preparation of pesto veggie pasta with chicken. The demonstration used a new mobile kitchen facility purchased by the Franciscan Health Foundation with a $5,000 grant from the Duneland Health Council.The cooking class is an outgrowth of the Walker Park Community Garden that is a joint effort of Franciscan Health Michigan City and Purdue Extension, and is also

Shirley Heinze Land Trust announces that it has acquired 34 acres of wetlands and floodplain along the Little Calumet River in Chesterton. The property consists of three disjunct parcels, situated immediately south of the intersection of I-94 on either side of State Road 49.The acquisition will help connect the Heinze Trust’s 66-acre Keith Richard Walner Nature Preserve, located west of SR49, to a number of its other protected areas to the east, including the 87-acre Wykes-Plampin Nature Preserve, the 165-acre Dale B. Engquist Nature Preserve, as well as the 42-acre J. Timothy Ritchie Nature Preserve, located along Sand Creek, which

The Indiana Arts Commission is currently accepting grant applications for its Arts in the Parks & Historic Sites 2020 program. The grant program assists organizations and artists with bringing participatory arts activities into Indiana's state parks and historic sites.This grant opportunity funds participatory arts activities celebrating Indiana State Parks and State Historic Sites. Not only are the projects family-friendly fun, they are a great opportunity to build partnerships with a participating site and expand the audience for your organization's work. The application deadline for organizations is 4:30 p.m. (EDT) September 5, 2019.The Arts Commission will host a program webinar July 9,

The Indiana Arts Commission recently approved grants awards to 431 community-based arts providers and individual artists throughout Indiana for fiscal year 2020.During its June 14th Quarterly Business Meeting in Indianapolis, the Commission approved grant allocations totaling more than $3 million in state and federal funds for grants and programs provided by arts organizations and cultural program providers throughout the state, including grants to 56 individual artists.The majority of the grants, totaling more than $2.5 million, will be distributed through the IAC's 11 regions to small and mid-sized organizations through Regional Initiative Grants.

The St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit (CMHU) continues to actively investigate after shots fired on June 23rd, outside of Kelly’s Pub, on 1150 Mishawaka Ave, resulted in the death of Brandon D. Williams and injuries to ten additional individuals. An autopsy was conducted Monday morning in Fort Wayne for Mr. Williams. A forensic pathologist ruled his cause of death to be gunshot wound and his manner of death to be homicide. According to witness accounts and limited video from the area, the parking lots immediately surrounding the pub were congested with cars and a crowd of approximately 75-100 individuals

The public can watch fireworks at several Indiana State Park properties, July 1-7. July 4th, Independence Day, falls on a Thursday this year. As a result, properties are hosting fireworks shows before and after the holiday. Personal fireworks are prohibited at Indiana State Parks.Indiana Dunes State Park will have its fireworks show on July 1 at 9:15 p.m. CT on the state park beach. Bring lawn chairs for the show, which is hosted by the Duneland Chamber of Commerce. Food vendors and other vendors will begin selling at 6 p.m. CT.Watch individual state park Facebook pages for any updates or

Forty-four year old Michael Henry Minix, of Knox, has been charged in a 6 count Indictment with distribution of and possession with intent to distribute schedule II and III narcotics.According to a press release the Indictment alleged that, beginning in August 2017 through May 2019, Minix distributed Oxycodone, a schedule II controlled substance, as well as Testosterone, Dianabol, and Metandienone, all of which are schedule III controlled substances.  The Indictment also alleges that Minix possessed Testosterone with the intent to distribute.The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons are presumed innocent

La Porte County:La Porte6/24/2019: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Laporte Hospital, 1007 W. Lincolnway7/8/2019: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., First Church of God, 2020 East LincolnwayMichigan City6/26/2019: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Michigan City Police Department, 1201 E. Michigan Blvd.6/27/2019: 2 p.m. - 8 p.m., St. Luke United Lutheran Church, 2000 E Coolspring Ave6/28/2019: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Franciscan Health Michigan City, 3500 Franciscan Way7/2/2019: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., St. John's United Church of Christ, 101 St. John Road7/12/2019: 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Michigan City Public Library, 100 East 4th StreetWanatah6/29/2019: 7 a.m. - 12 p.m., Sacred

Today, Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced the peer program, designed for communities to work together on improving their quality of place programming and have productive development conversations, is now open for applications. The program’s goal is for local leadership to gather best practices and the necessary tools to advance an innovative vision through in-person assessments, stakeholder conversations and peer advisement. Any size community can be a peer participant or host community. The lead applicant must be a local unit of government with multiple organization and agency partnerships committed to participating during

Paladin, Inc., a social service agency founded in 1967, was recently awarded the Head Start grant after a long and competitive process. In addition to its services serving individuals with disabilities the organization is expanding its mission to advocate and support the elderly and children. Head Start encourages the cognitive, social and emotional development of children ages three to five. In addition to education, the early childhood program focuses on the health, nutrition, and social well-being of the family. Head Start is responsive to each child and family's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage. Head Start believes that parents are the

Shirley Heinze Land Trust announces that it has acquired 34 acres of wetlands and floodplain along the Little Calumet River in Chesterton. The property consists of three disjunct parcels, situated immediately south of the intersection of I-94 on either side of State Road 49. The acquisition will help connect the Heinze Trust’s 66-acre Keith Richard Walner Nature Preserve, located west of SR49, to a number of its other protected areas to the east, including the 87-acre Wykes-Plampin Nature Preserve, the 165-acre Dale B. Engquist Nature Preserve, as well as the 42-acre J. Timothy Ritchie Nature Preserve, located along Sand Creek,

Early Sunday morning, the South Bend Police Department (SBPD) received a report of gunshots fired outside of Kelly’s Pub, located at 1150 Mishawaka Ave. Officers were dispatched to the address and located one male adult victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The deceased victim has been identified as 27 year old Brandon D. Williams of Niles, Michigan, and his family has been notified. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday morning, June 24th, in Fort Wayne. Ten additional gunshot wound victims have been identified, and were treated

Paladin, Inc., a social service agency founded in 1967, was recently awarded the Head Start grant after a long and competitive process. In addition to its services serving individuals with disabilities the organization is expanding its mission to advocate and support the elderly and children. Head Start encourages the cognitive, social and emotional development of children ages three to five. In addition to education, the early childhood program focuses on the health, nutrition, and social well-being of the family. Head Start is responsive to each child and family's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage. Head Start believes that parents are the

Two men from Illinois were arrested early this morning on numerous charges when troopers found guns and narcotics in their car.Just after 1:30 a.m., on Monday, Trooper Kenneth Payonk made a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Malibu on I-94 east bound approximately 1 ½ miles west of the Portage exit for a suspected impaired driver.  Motorists had called into the Lowell Regional Dispatch reporting that the Malibu was driving well under the posted speed limit and unable to maintain its lane of travel. After stopping the Malibu, Payonk observed that the driver seemed evasive and that the front seat passenger

The South Shore Line announced that construction is set to begin that will add a second entrance/exit to the East Chicago Station platform. The project is expected to continue through December 2019, and will help accommodate the large influx of passengers at East Chicago Station. The improvements include converting the low-level platform to the east of the station into a covered walkway to access a new head house, stairwell and tunnel leading to the eastern parking lot. Additionally, other East Chicago Station projects include improvements to the existing head house, and the installation in 2020 of higher speed track switches

A bridge deck overlay project is starting Monday on State Road 10 in North Judson. The project is on the bridge over Bogus Run, just west of State Road 39. First, the work zone will feature one lane in each direction with a reduced speed limit (45 mph) and narrow lanes. Then, starting in early July, one lane of traffic will be controlled by a temporary signal. The project is expected to wrap up by late August.

Gov. Eric J. Holcomb convened leaders from the state’s agriculture sectors on Thursday to receive an update on unprecedented weather conditions that have impacted farms and other agriculture businesses statewide. As of last week, only 84 percent of Indiana’s corn crop and 64 percent of soybeans have been planted, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). That is an increase from the start of month, but both crops are usually at 100 percent planted for this time of year. Representatives from Indiana Corn & Soybean, the Indiana Farm Service Agency, Agribusiness Council of Indiana, Indiana Pork, Purdue College of

An American Red Cross blood drive is scheduled from 8AM to 1PM, Friday, June 28th at Franciscan Health Michigan City. The blood drive will be in the Blessed Maria Theresia Bonzel Community Room on the first floor of the hospital, at 3500 Franciscan Way on the northwest corner of Interstate 94 and U.S. 421. To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS or go online to redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code: franciscanhealth.