Local News

After several months of renovation, the 1st and 2nd floors of the Barker Mansion are open for tours! The Mansion will be open Tuesdays- Saturdays for the 1pm guided tour as well as their regularly scheduled specialty events. Discounted rates are $3/ youth or senior and $5/adult. If you are interested in volunteering at the Mansion, please contact Director Emily Reth at ereth@emichigancity.com or by calling the Mansion at 219-873-1520. The Barker Mansion is located at 631 Washington Street in Michigan City. Visit www.barkermansion.com for details.

INDOT announced that State Road 933 (Lincolnway E) will have some lane closures beginning Monday, April 1, while overhead bridge painting work happens on State Road 23 (Eddy Street). The lane closures are expected to last until early May, and will come in three phases, lasting approximately one week each: Phase 1: The eastbound ramp and right lane will be closed. Phase 2: The eastbound and westbound left lanes will be closed. Phase 3: The westbound right lane will be closed. La Porte County Sheriff John T. Boyd is announcing the release of the 2018 Annual Report. The amount of calls for

Students at Barker Middle School in Michigan City have done it again: This year, they raised $1,805 to support the American Heart Association through a "Kids Heart Challenge" fundraiser. For a minimum donation of $5, students reported to the gym during the last class period before spring break for some heart-healthy activities: they played either dodge ball or "Omnikin ball" -- which is played with a giant ball on a volleyball court. This year, the event took place on Friday, March 29 and more than 200 students took part. The effort was spearheaded and promoted by the Barker Student Council

Attorney General Curtis Hill won a legal victory on Friday that will help the state hold officials accountable for obeying laws and upholding the public trust. A former bookkeeper for the Jennings County Clerk's Office, Cathy Jo Robertson, has sought to avoid paying back public funds demanded by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). In an audit report, the State Board of Accounts (SBOA) determined that Robertson diverted more than $61,000 in public funds for her own use. Robertson had claimed the OAG’s complaint to recover the funds was filed after the statute of limitations had expired. Robertson’s attorneys

At around 2:30 PM Saturday afternoon, Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department responded to a wild fire located at the Moraine Nature Preserve [near County Road 650 North and Harvest Road], part of the Department of Natural Resources, in rural Jackson Township. Assistant Fire Chief Michael Wineland arrived on scene of a wildland fire with initial estimates of 10 plus acres burning. Additional resources from nearby fire departments were called in to assist due to the remote location of the fire for extinguishment efforts. Firefighters had to travel by foot and ATV to reach the remote location. Initial investigation concluded the

Early Saturday morning, Michigan City Police Department Officers from the Uniformed Patrol Division Shift III were dispatched to the 1000 block of Holiday Street in reference to shots being fired. Upon their arrival a 27-year-old male, identified as Darrell Edwards, was located on the ground. It was quickly determined this person had been shot. Emergency care was provided, and he was rushed to Franciscan Hospital where unfortunately he succumbed to his wounds. The Investigative Division was summoned to the scene and Detectives are actively working this case. Cpl. Anna Painter is the Lead Detective. Anyone with information regarding this incident

Disney Institute is bringing its renowned professional development course, Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence, to Valparaiso on Wednesday, September 18, 2019. Sponsored by Duneland and Valpo Chamber, the one-day event will help area professionals begin to understand the power of leadership values, discover how customer loyalty can be established, and gain insight into how organizational culture is strengthened. Participants gain an awareness of the systems and processes that can make exceptional customer service achievable and learn how to integrate personal creativity and organizational processes to support continuous improvement within their organization. This day of Disney Institute training uses business insights

U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) announced that he is cosponsoring the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act (S. 151) to crack down on illegal robocall scams. The legislation, which was introduced by Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), gives regulators more time to find scammers, increases civil forfeiture penalties for those who are caught, promotes call authentication and blocking adoption, and brings relevant federal agencies and state attorneys general together to address impediments to criminal prosecution of robocallers who intentionally flout laws.

Mayor Ron Meer is happy to announce that the City of Michigan City was just awarded a $1,000,000.00 matching grant (the maximum amount possible) to be used towards our roads from the Community Crossings Matching Grant Program from the State of Indiana. Mayor Ron Meer said on Tuesday, "This was a special team effort by the City of Michigan City and our consultants which allowed us to maximize our revenue and make this tremendous investment into our City's future. This is especially important as the extreme temperatures this past winter have taken a major toll on our local road system.

Indiana’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) is now accepting applications from families in 20 counties who may be eligible for grants for their children to receive high-quality, prekindergarten education through the On My Way Pre-K program for the 2019/2020 school year. The pilot program was expanded in 2017 from five to 20 counties to provide the benefits of early childhood education to more Hoosier children from low-income families. In addition to the five counties where On My Way Pre-K has been available since 2015 (Allen, Jackson, Lake, Marion and Vanderburgh) the program will be available for the

U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) announced that he is cosponsoring the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act (S. 151) to crack down on illegal robocall scams. The legislation, which was introduced by Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), gives regulators more time to find scammers, increases civil forfeiture penalties for those who are caught, promotes call authentication and blocking adoption, and brings relevant federal agencies and state attorneys general together to address impediments to criminal prosecution of robocallers who intentionally flout laws.

United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Indiana Michael Dora announced more than $5.2 million in investments to help rebuild and improve rural water and wastewater infrastructure for 6,875 rural Indiana residents.  Nationwide, USDA is working with local partners to provide financing for 49 water and environmental infrastructure projects. The funding is being provided through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. It can be used for drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.  Eligible communities and water districts can apply online on the interactive

La Porte Hospital will be providing FREE bone density screenings during the months of April, May and June in Michigan City and La Porte. Osteoporosis, which literally means porous bone, is a disease in which the density and quality of bone are reduced. As bones become more porous and fragile, the risk of fracture is greatly increased. The loss of bone occurs silently and progressively. Often there are no symptoms until the first fracture occurs. Osteoporosis and the broken bones it can cause are not part of normal aging. Screenings will be held at the following dates, times and locations.

On Wednesday, Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson announced she has appointed Patrick Glover as Director of Information Security for the Secretary of State’s office. Secretary Lawson has made cybersecurity a top priority. After the 2016 presidential election, cybersecurity in elections moved to the forefront nationwide. Secretary Lawson through her work as President of the National Association of Secretaries of State, helped lead Indiana and secretaries across the country through this transition. Glover has been by Secretary Lawson’s side through this process and has helped her navigate the evolving world of cybersecurity. The office has seen incredible growth since 2016

On Thursday, U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.), and Representatives Ted Budd (N.C.-13) and Francis Rooney (Fla.-19) announced introduction of the Fair and Open Competition Act, which would lower government construction costs by increasing competition and opportunities for contractors to bid on government work. The legislation would ensure that the federal government cannot mandate project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal projects, thereby increasing competition and lowering construction costs for taxpayers. Supporters of the Fair and Open Competition Act include the American Fire Sprinkler Association, American Road & Transportation Builders Association, Associated Builders and Contractors, Business Coalition for

Attorney General Curtis Hill on Thursday announced that his office has entered into a voluntary agreement for a license suspension of a Boone County pediatrician charged with multiple felonies. This agreement is between the Office of the Attorney General and Dr. Jonathon Cavins' counsel. Dr. Cavins, who practiced in Lebanon, was charged by the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office after a 12-year-old patient came forward with allegations he was inappropriately touched during a routine physical. The Office of the Attorney General has entered into an agreement with Dr. Cavins to suspend his medical license for 90 days while he is under

Michael Riehle recently was named president of chamber services for the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership. Riehle has spent 26 years in the financial services industry in banking as a commercial lender. The partnership was launched in February when the Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce and the Greater La Porte Economic Development Corp. announced the organizations would move into a shared location but continue operating as separate entities with separate boards of directors. Riehel has provided his time, serving the community in a volunteer capacity for local non-profits, community boards and municipal associations. He has previously served as president

The West Lake Corridor Project, which would extend the South Shore Line eight miles and provide new rail service to Hammond, Munster and Dyer, has cleared another obstacle. The Federal Transit Administration recently gave the project a medium-high rating, according to the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority. The rating was needed for the West Lake Corridor Project to be considered for federal matching funds. The RDA said the next step for the project is for a request entry into the engineering phase, which the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, operator of the South Shore Line, is expected to do in

Michigan City-based Horizon Bancorp Inc. has completed its more than $135 million acquisition of Salin Bancshares Inc. in Indianapolis. As a result, all 20 Salin Bank and Trust Co. locations will be rebranded under the Horizon name. The acquisition was first announced in October. The closing of the deal brings the number of offices for Horizon to nearly 90 throughout Indiana and Michigan. Horizon says the acquisition enhances its core deposit base and expands its presence with new offices in Fort Wayne and Columbus and additional offices in Indianapolis and Lafayette.

U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) announced that he is cosponsoring the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act (S. 151) to crack down on illegal robocall scams. The legislation, which was introduced by Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), gives regulators more time to find scammers, increases civil forfeiture penalties for those who are caught, promotes call authentication and blocking adoption, and brings relevant federal agencies and state attorneys general together to address impediments to criminal prosecution of robocallers who intentionally flout laws.