Local News

In an effort to accommodate an expected increase in ridership for the Chicago Pride Parade, the South Shore Line will operate extra passenger trains on Sunday, June 30th. Westbound Train 502 and Train 606 will operate with additional capacity to accommodate passengers heading to Chicago in the morning. These trains will make all regular stops to Chicago.In the afternoon, two eastbound passenger extras will run following the day's events:The first eastbound extra will depart Millennium Station at 4:25pm, run non-stop to Hegewisch and make all local stops terminating at Carroll Avenue, Michigan City.The second eastbound extra will depart Millennium Station at

Michigan City High School was recognized at the Indiana State House on Wednesday. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education and INvestEd honored MCHS for over 70% completion of the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, by the Class of 2019. Completion of the FAFSA is a key first step in applying for college and other post-graduation training programs and enables students to qualify for scholarships and grants. 

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Day and is forecasting high ozone levels for today in the following areas in our area: In Northwest Indiana – Lake, Porter, and LaPorte CountiesIn North Central Indiana – St. Joseph and Elkhart CountiesGround-level ozone is formed when sunlight and hot weather bake vehicle exhaust, factory emissions and gasoline vapors. Ozone in the upper atmosphere blocks ultraviolet radiation, but ozone near the ground is a lung irritant that can cause coughing and breathing difficulties.To learn more about ozone or sign up for air quality forecasts, visit www.SmogWatch.IN.gov.(IDEM encourages everyone

Three communities and one golf club are approved to receive funding from the Community Hunter Access Program (CHAP), which is designed to increase hunting access and reduce conflicts with white-tailed deer.The successful applicants for 2019 awards are the City of Bloomington, Community of Duneland Beach, Wesselman Woods Nature Center, and the Indiana Oaks Golf Club. Acceptance of awards and recruitment of hunters is pending.CHAP first issued grants in 2018 to three communities to assist with the cost of implementing managed hunts while providing new access for eligible deer hunters.Hunters interested in CHAP can register for a possible opportunity to participate

Yolanda Davis, Vice President, Community Reinvestment Act Officer, presented the scholarships during the Urban League of Northwest Indiana, Inc. Annual Scholastic Achievement Awards Luncheon recently.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’s Diversity Business Council developed the Minority Scholarship Program to encourage minority students to pursue higher educations. The scholarships awarded were based on academic achievement, demonstrated leadership and future potential. The application process was administered through a partnership with the Urban League of NWI Inc., along with community

Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced yesterday that the state has extended the option to decide if it will purchase land near Lawrenceburg that could be the site of the state’s fourth port. The Ports of Indiana entered into an agreement in September 2017 to purchase up to 725 acres of land that was formerly the American Electric Power plant. That option was set to expire June 30.The option has been extended by six months to enable the seller, to complete its environmental remediation plan for the site and submit it to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. If the Ports

The Shore Line is reminding riders to ensure you have downloaded the latest South Shore app update available for Android, put out on Wednesday, which will correct previous train schedule discrepancies occurring between Central and Eastern time zones.iPhone users should ensure they have the latest app update that became available on June 21.

In the final days of a fundraising period for the Holcomb-Crouch campaign, Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch transferred $1 million from her campaign account into the Eric Holcomb for Indiana campaign account. She announced this yesterday at a Team Holcomb fundraising event that separately raised another $1 million in a single night. The campaigns of Governor Holcomb, Lt. Governor Crouch and the Indiana Republican Party posted a combined $5.745 million cash on hand at the end of 2018, which was more than any previous combined total following a governor's second year in office. To date, Lt. Governor Crouch had previously transferred

Isabelle Meyer, an 11 year old Girl Scout from Jasper, Indiana, died when a tree fell in a “freak accident” at an Indiana campground on Monday, June 24, 2019, according to the Perry County Sheriff’s Office. The Perry County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page stated: "Central Dispatch received a 911 call reporting that a tree had fallen on campers at Camp Koch. Emergency responders and sheriff’s deputies quickly responded to the scene. Upon arrival responders found four injured persons. They were swiftly transported to various area hospitals. We have learned that one of the four victims has passed away." The tree

The United States Women’s Soccer team will be in action on Friday afternoon in the World Cup against the host of the World Cup, France. If the U.S. wins they will head to the semi-finals. 

The La Porte Jaycees are pleased to announce their 73rd annual 4th of July festivities. The festivities start with the 46th Annual Arts & Crafts Festival on June 29th from 8 AM to 1 PM at the corner of State and Monroe Streets in La Porte.  The Arts & Crafts Festival is held in conjunction with the La Porte Farmers Market. There will be many vendors on site selling arts, crafts, and food. They will also be selling new limited edition La Porte Jaycees 4th of July t-shirts at the event for $15.Last year the Jaycees moved the annual fireworks

The DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife is looking for volunteers to count wild turkeys and their offspring from July 1 to Aug. 31.Each summer, wildlife biologists and volunteers conduct brood surveys, counting the number of young wild turkeys observed with turkey hens to estimate how many young turkeys live through the summer. Summer brood survival is one of the primary factors influencing wild turkey population trends in various regions of the state and informs wild turkey management.The goal this summer is to collect 3,000 brood observation reports from citizens across the state, with at least 25 brood observations in

Yesterday, Senator Mike Braun (R-IN), Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Senator Todd Young (R-IN) introduced a Senate resolution celebrating the American Legion's 100 year anniversary of serving veterans of the Armed Forces, their families and communities. The resolution designates August 23 through 29 as "American Legion Week" to coincide with the Legion's 100th Anniversary convention in their home city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Representative André Carson (IN-07), who represents Indianapolis, will introduce companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

The South Shore Line will be busing passengers on four weekday trains today and Thursday, due to track and overhead wire work for Eastbound Trains 7 and 9 and Westbound Trains 18 and 20.The busing will take place between Carroll Ave. and South Bend Airport stations.Buses for these trains will arrive and depart with passengers to match the published Monday-Friday train schedule between Carroll Ave. and South Bend.Bus service to and from Hudson Lake will not be available for Trains 7, 9, 18, and 20. These Hudson Lake passengers are encouraged to board at the Carroll Ave. station.More information on

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.