Local News

Attorney General Todd Rokita Wednesday announced a lawsuit against 22 companies that, contrary to law, continued manufacturing substances known as “forever chemicals”, also known as PFAS. “We’re taking action today to hold these companies accountable for their clear violation of laws designed to protect human health,” Attorney General Todd Rokita said. “For decades, they sought to hide research showing that their products were extremely dangerous to people everywhere, including Hoosiers. And they did it so they could make million-dollar profits at the cost of our health and well-being.” According to a press release from Rokita’s office, the companies manufactured a

A Michigan City man has been charged in the fatal shooting that took place on April 8 in Michigan City. On April 8, at 12:53 p.m. the LaPorte County E-911 Regional Dispatch Center received multiple 911 calls of a person shot in the parking lot of Advance Auto Parts in the 100 block of East U.S. Highway 20. Officers responded to the scene and located 27-year-old La Porte resident Dylan Andersen suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Officers provided life saving measures to Andersen before he was transported to Franciscan Health Michigan City Hospital for emergency medical treatment. Andersen eventually died

Chesterton, IN - 8th Grade Reality Check is set for May 10, 2024, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. at Chesterton Middle School, located at 651 W Morgan Ave. For more than 20 years, this event has been preparing 8th grade students from the Duneland area on how to be successful in life after graduation. Students are given a predetermined salary that they would earn in their chosen profession at age 28.  During 8th Grade Reality Check, they visit tables where they pay such expenses as taxes, housing, childcare, etc. Some do end up in bankruptcy, while others may have

The South Shore Line’s Buy One Get One Free monthly ticket promotion is extended through June 2024 due to ongoing busing and construction related to the Double Track NWI Project. All monthly tickets purchased for the month of May 2024 will remain valid for June 2024. Passengers purchasing a paper May monthly ticket should plan to keep that ticket and use it through June, and passengers purchasing a digital May monthly ticket via the mobile app will see a June ticket uploaded to their accounts prior to June 1. For passengers who receive tickets through an employer benefit program such

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - An INDOT contractor will have lane closures on U.S. 30 between the Illinois State Line and U.S. 41 beginning on or after Monday, April 15. This is a concrete restoration project, with full depth patching and joint repairs. There will also be a preventative maintenance bridge deck overlay done on the Plum Creek bridge between Hart St and Moeller St. Work will be ongoing through mid-May, with alternating lane closures and changing traffic patterns. During phase one, the left passing lane and left turn lanes will be closed in both directions. INDOT encourages drivers to allow

News Release, Purdue Northwest: Prospective college students and their families are invited to join Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) Preview PNW campus information session on April 27 to learn more about attending the region’s premier metropolitan university. Located just 30 miles from Chicago, PNW is where academic excellence meets real-world experience. Preview PNW allows prospective students to explore campus and discover how a PNW experience will help build hands-on skills, create connections with professors who care and Power Onward to their career goals. PNW offers more than 70 areas of study, nearly 60 student organizations and 21 athletic teams on two

The City of La Porte Water Department's spring water system flushing is set to begin this weekend, according to La Porte Water Superintendent Tim Werner. Beginning Sunday, Apr. 14 and continuing for four to five weeks, crews will be out to flush fire hydrants throughout the community Sunday through Thursday between the hours of 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Werner reminds residents that this process is a critical part of maintaining the city’s water quality and infrastructure. “While we know this process can present an inconvenience to our citizens, it is a very necessary and important part of maintaining our

The City of La Porte is receiving Indiana’s 119th Safe Haven Baby Box. La Porte Fire Station #2 is inviting the community to attend the blessing of their Safe Haven Baby Box on April 11. The event will occur at 115 E. Shore Court, in La Porte at noon. La Porte Fire Chief, Andy Snyder stated, “Installing a Safe Haven Baby Box has been a goal of our department for quite some time now, and we are so glad to finally have this incredible resource in our community. We are very grateful to the family of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski for

News Release, La Porte County Sheriff's Office: The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is launching a national high-visibility enforcement effort this month to deter distracted driving. "Distractions behind the wheel can have devastating consequences,” said Devon McDonald, Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Executive Director. “We urge all motorists to focus on the road and avoid any activity that takes their attention away from driving safely." Law enforcement officers nationwide will work together to enforce texting and distracted-driving laws and remind people to put away distractions while on the road. This effort comes during National Distracted Driving

Press Release, Health Foundation of La Porte: La Porte, Indiana — Years of committed work have culminated in a milestone achievement: La Porte is the first city in Indiana to achieve HEARTSafe Community designation. Earning this designation makes La Porte an official part of the HEARTSafe Community initiative, a national preparedness program dedicated to improving outcomes of sudden cardiac arrest led by the Citizen CPR Foundation. La Porte joins other cities and communities — most recently Johnson County, Iowa; Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; and La Crosse, Wisc. — in achieving HEARTSafe Community status. The La Porte HEARTSafe Community team decided

An INDOT contractor  will have overnight lane closures on I-94 between State Road 912/Cline Avenue and State Road 53/Broadway starting on or after Monday, April 15. Overnight lane closures will be in place from approximately 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly through the end of April. Crews will be installing ITS equipment at several locations on eastbound and westbound I-94. This work is weather dependent so the schedule is subject to change. INDOT says to be alert for overnight lane closures through this area.

The Indiana Sheriffs’ Association (ISA) announced information for their 44th Annual Youth Leadership Camps this year. The first session, serving the northern part of the state, will be held June 17 - 20, at Pine Creek Camp in Pine Village, Indiana (Warren County). The second session, serving the southern part of the state, will be held July 1 - 3, at Waycross Episcopal Camp in Morgantown, Indiana (Brown County). The ISA Youth Leadership Camps are a program for boys and girls who are currently in the 7th or 8th grade of school and are interested in learning more about a

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - An INDOT contractor will begin bridge deck overlay preventative maintenance projects on I-94 near U.S. 41/Indianapolis Boulevard and Kennedy Avenue on or after Monday, April 15. Work will begin at the I-94 bridges over U.S. 41/Indianapolis Boulevard and over Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad just west of Kennedy Avenue. There will also be future work at the eastbound I-94 to northbound State Road 912/Cline Avenue ramp bridge. This work will be conducted in phases and will be ongoing through late August. During phase one, the right lane of I-94 eastbound will be closed between U.S. 41/Calumet Avenue

The Singing Singing Sands Sand Sculpting Festival made the top 10 on ‘2024’s Must See Events in Indiana’s Cool North'. Singing Sands came in at #10 on the list. The three day event, taking place June 7-9, is a professional sand sculpting competition and exhibition, drawing some of the world’s most talented and well-known sand sculptors who will create incredible works of art in the City’s famous “Singing Sands.” Join TEAM WIMS at the event all weekend long for the fun. See more under the ‘Events’ tab at WIMSradio.com.

On April 8th, 2024 at 12:53 P.M. is when the LaPorte County E-911 Regional Dispatch Center received multiple 911 calls of a person shot in the parking lot of Advance Auto Parts (151 East US Highway 20). Multiple officers from the Uniform Patrol Division responded to the scene and located 27-year-old LaPorte, Indiana resident Dylan Andersen suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Officers provided life saving measures to Andersen before he was transported to Franciscan Health Michigan City Hospital for emergency medical treatment. Andersen eventually succumbed to his injuries after arriving at the hospital. Responding officers quickly identified and located the

HAMMOND and WESTVILLE, Ind. – The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest hosted the inaugural Uthiverse StartUp Madness Business Pitch Tournament at the Purdue University Northwest (PNW) Hammond campus on March 30. Student teams from Hammond Central, Lowell and Munster high schools pitched their businesses for an opportunity to win $2,500 in seed money from Uthiverse. This seed funding can be used to improve their business idea, develop a prototype, create a minimum viable product (MVP), implement a marketing strategy or fund some other activity that helps them launch their venture. “It is always exciting to see students participate in

In Valparaiso, community volunteers are invited to join the Mayor’s Youth Council for a Spring Cleanup at Rogers Lakewood Park on April 13 from 9-11 a.m. The City of Valparaiso is asking those attending to wear comfortable clothes, bring your gloves and meet the city at the day camp shelter. Find more events going on in the Valpo area by visiting the city's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ValparaisoNow.  

Join LaPorte County Parks at Creek Ridge County Park and Luhr County Park 11:30am-4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 8 to view the eclipse. The eclipse will begin at 12:52 p.m. and peak at 2:08 p.m. This program will be joined by the La Porte County Public Library.

The Duneland Chamber of Commerce says it has morning, afternoon, and all-day volunteer opportunities available for their 8th Grade Reality Check that will be taking place on Friday, May 10 at Chesterton Middle School. “This fun and interactive experience demonstrates the importance of hard work and good grades for all 8th graders in the Duneland area,” the Duneland Chamber stated on Facebook. “We need around 120 volunteers to make this event successful, so please share with your friends!” Register below or email rachel@dunelandchamber.org for more information. https://form.jotform.com/240656632144151

Press Release, Indiana Judicial Branch: A 23-member Commission on Indiana’s Legal Future is now established by Supreme Court order. The Commission is tasked with exploring options for addressing Indiana’s attorney shortage and presenting findings and recommendations to the Court on future actions. Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush explained, “We currently have a critical shortage of lawyers, which is impacting access to justice in each of our 92 counties. It’s imperative that we address this issue now and act. But we must do so diligently and holistically. I am confident that this new commission will thoroughly examine potential solutions and come