Local News

Kenneth A. Firanek, 76, of Michigan City, Indiana, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 6:21 a.m. at Ignite Medical Resort in Chesterton, Indiana. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Friday, May 15, 2026, at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, 1506 Washington Street, Michigan City, Indiana, with Rev. Walter Ciesla officiating. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, May 14, 2026, and from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Friday at Ott/Haverstock Funeral Chapel, 418 Washington Street, Michigan City, Indiana. Memorial contributions may be made to the donor’s choice. To sign

MICHIGAN CITY, Indiana – The City of Michigan City is mourning the loss of Brenda Patrick, a dedicated Michigan City Transit employee who faithfully served the community for 38 years. To honor Brenda’s life and legacy, Michigan City Transit services will be suspended from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Friday, May 15, 2026, to allow transit employees, riders, and colleagues the opportunity to attend her funeral and pay their respects. Funeral services will be held at Bethel AME Church, located at 629 E. Michigan Blvd., Michigan City, Indiana. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m., with funeral services scheduled from

Today Sunny with a high near 57. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.   Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.   Thursday Sunny, with a high near 55.   Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.   Friday A chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.   Friday Night A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) to urge Hoosiers to buckle up as part of the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign, a high-visibility enforcement effort focused on increasing seat belt use. Beginning today and lasting through May 31, deputies will work overtime to ensure drivers and passengers are using their seat belts and children are properly secured. The overtime patrols are funded by NHTSA through ICJI’s Comprehensive Highway Injury Reduction Program (CHIRP). “Buckling up is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect yourself and your loved ones

Michigan City Area Schools will hold special groundbreaking ceremony for their new Community Event Center at Michigan City High School on Thursday, May 14, at 5:00 PM CST in the East parking lot near the Barbara Jones Slater Track and Field at Michigan City High School. "This project reflects the vision and feedback shared during previous Community Conversations and marks an important step forward as construction begins," MCAS said in a statement. "It also represents a significant investment in our students and community and is aligned with our district’s Strategic Plan. The new facility will feature a lighted track and

Indiana Conservation Officer Tyler Brock who was named District 10 Officer of the Year in 2025, has been honored as the James D. Pitzer Indiana Conservation Officer of the Year, selected from among the 10 top district officers in Indiana, according to a Facebook post from the Town of Chesterton. The Town of Chesterton shared the information below: "The Pitzer Award is named for James Pitzer, who in 1961 was killed in the line of duty in Jay County. The recipient of this award demonstrates professional ethics, attitude, and service to the public while demonstrating dedication to the conservation of

News Release, U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes District:  CLEVELAND — Leveraging a contract awarded by the U.S. Coast Guard to enhance maritime domain awareness, the Great Lakes District will deploy autonomous drones to support Coast Guard missions on the Great Lakes this summer from May to October, 2026. These are uncrewed surface vehicles with primary hybrid-electric propulsion, wind assist via the Saildrone Wing, and solar power as an auxiliary battery charge source. The autonomous vessels are highly visible, equipped with radar, cameras and collision-avoidance artificial intelligence, and monitored 24/7 by human operators who can take manual control if needed. Sail

In Jasper County crews will conduct overnight lane closures on I-65 between mile marker 213-215 (south of State Road 114, north of U.S. 231) during the hours of 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Starting on or after tonight, May 12, one southbound lane will be closed at a time for two evenings. These lane closures are to accommodate overhead bridge demolition work at C.R. 600 S. Additional overnight lane closures are scheduled for two evenings on I-65 northbound beginning on or after Wednesday, May 20 to change the traffic configuration. Northbound traffic will be shifted to the left with the

HAMMOND and WESTVILLE, Ind. — Major shifts in modern-day technologies, such as artificial intelligence, are transforming how people learn, work, communicate and more. Sometimes, these changes can feel scary or concerning for how they will impact the future. However, the needs that people have — forming connections, providing help, exercising effective decision-making — have remained unchanged for centuries despite tools that dramatically altered different processes. Keynote speaker Alejandra Y. Castillo implored nearly 1,100 participating candidates at Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) 2026 Commencement on May 9 to remember this as they begin their next steps after graduation. She humorously pointed out,

Pursuit Ends in Crash into a House in Portage-Update from the Indiana State Police-Lowell Post Portage, IN – On May 10, 2026, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Trooper Schrock attempted to stop a white Chevrolet Blazer traveling 90 mph on I-94 westbound near the 21.8 mile-marker. This location is near the Burns Harbor/Porter exit. The driver refused to stop, accelerating to speeds over 130 mph while fleeing through multiple jurisdictions. The pursuit continued onto State Road 249, U.S. 20, and Samuelson Road in Porter county. After crossing a set of railroad tracks at a high rate of speed, the vehicle went

Westville Area Chamber of Commerce 2026 Annual Dinner &Awards Westville, IN - The Westville Area Chamber of Commerce just hosted their Annual Dinner at The Great Hall of Purdue University Northwest Westville Campus. More than 80 guests enjoyed the evening of entertainment presented by Harpist Meg Rodgers and dined on great food created by the PNW culinary department while enjoying a unique and beautiful setting of the PNW campus. Our guest speaker for the evening was our own president, Olga Pothorski. She talked about some of the Chamber accomplishments from 2025 and the exciting things that will be happening in

Today A slight chance of showers before 4pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 73. Breezy, with a south southeast wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.   Tonight Showers and thunderstorms likely before 10pm, then showers likely between 10pm and 1am. Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 50. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.   Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near

Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch announced Monday the promotion of Tamiko Smith to Controller for the City of Michigan City and the hiring of Ann Shaffer as Deputy Controller. Smith brings more than 11 years of dedicated service to the City of Michigan City, having advanced through multiple roles within the Controller’s Office. Her experience, institutional knowledge, and strong municipal financial expertise have made her a trusted resource across city government. “Tamiko has earned the respect of our team through her hard work, professionalism, and commitment to the residents of Michigan City,” said Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch. “She understands the importance

Hey Christian business owner — who do you go to when you don’t have the answers? What if one day a month could bring clarity to your leadership, alignment to your business, and peace back into your life? Join Tom Frain, a C12 chair here in Northwest Indiana at Sand Creek Country Club on Wednesday May 20th for a FREE informational luncheon between 11:30a-1pm. to find out more. Email Tom at tom.frain@c12forums.com or call 219-406-6918. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/c12-executive-briefing-luncheon-tickets-1988353483795?aff=oddtdtcreator

Michigan City Area Schools is now accepting applications for a program designed to boost community engagement and give the public a deeper understanding of its operations. The MCAS Ambassador Program is a seven-session series of interactive workshops that give community members a behind-the-scenes look at district services, finances, operations, curriculum, instruction, and more. Ambassadors meet once a month on a Thursday morning to hear from administrators, staff, and students and take part in hands-on activities at locations across the school district. In April, the first group of 26 Ambassadors completed the program, which was piloted during the 2025-26 school year.

Several local police officers recently graduated from the Northern Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. On Friday several department's congratulated their officers on their Facebook pages. The La Porte County Sheriff's Office shared the following: "Congratulations to Deputy Michael Matzke on his graduation from the Northern Indiana Law Enforcement Academy! For the past 16 weeks, Deputy Matzke and his fellow classmates from Recruit Session 26-55 have trained at the brand-new academy in Valparaiso. Deputy Matzke excelled throughout the session, and his leadership qualities stood out among his peers, earning him several distinguished honors: ⭐️ Squad Leader - D Squad ⭐️ Nick Schultz

Press Release, Indiana Department of Environmental Management: INDIANAPOLIS –  The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) is introducing a new air quality notification, a Local Air Quality Advisory (LAQA), to alert residents of short-term conditions that can become unhealthy for several hours but may not meet the criteria to forecast an Air Quality Action Day (AQAD). “The new Local Air Quality Advisory helps us better communicate when air quality may be impacted temporarily,” said IDEM Commissioner Clint Woods. “By adding this advisory, we’re giving Hoosiers clearer information concerning the air quality in their communities.” LAQAs will supplement, not replace, IDEM’s

Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch responds to weekend tragic shooting-from the My Michigan City, Indiana FACEBOOK page-in our thoughts and prayers   On this Mother’s Day, our Michigan City community is carrying unimaginable pain following last night’s tragic shooting after prom that claimed the life of a Michigan City High School student and seriously injured two other students.   My heart is especially with the mothers, fathers, families, classmates, and friends who are grieving today instead of celebrating.   Out of respect for the families, I had hoped to allow them space and privacy during this difficult time. However,

Today Sunny, with a high near 55.   Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 44.   Tuesday Showers likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 63.   Tuesday Night A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48.   Wednesday Partly sunny, with a high near 56.

Several community CPR classes will be held at La Porte County parks throughout May, June and July. Pre-registration is required. See the flyer for more details.