Local News

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating two separate water related incidents in Lake Michigan offshore from Indiana Dunes State Park. At 4:45pm Saturday, the first victim, a 10 year old male from Chicago, was found face down in the water approximately 40 yards from shore. He was brought back to shore and CPR was immediately started. He was transported to Porter Regional Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. In a separate incident approximately one hour later, a 14 year old male from Chicago, was pulled from the water approximately 50 yards from shore near the same area. Two on-duty Porter

According to the American Community Survey in 2016, 82,413 individuals in Northwest Indiana 18 years of age and older do not have a high school diploma. Northwest Indiana region adult education programs have stepped up to the challenge to help more individuals attain their High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma by offering free HSE preparation classes. Over the last year, area adult education programs have had over 60% achieve HSE and/or significant increases in academic performance. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development’s Assistant Director of Adult Education Policy and Programs, Jerry Haffner, Adult Education Coordinator and Professional Development Lead, Dan DeVers,

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application is now available on Unity Foundation of La Porte County’s website at www.uflc.net. Through support of Independent Colleges of Indiana and Lilly Endowment, Unity Foundation is offering two full-tuition, four-year college scholarships to benefit La Porte County residents. They provide full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and equipment for four years of undergraduate study, leading to a baccalaureate degree at any accredited Indiana public or private college or university. Nontraditional students - those who have been out of high school for any period of

To show appreciation and to say thank you for their service to the community, the South Shore Line (SSL) is inviting all active-duty first responders to ride the train free of charge Sunday, Sept. 9, through Saturday, Sept. 15, on all off-peak weekday and weekend trains. In order to take advantage of this promotion, all first responders must present ticket collectors with valid active-duty identification. All active-duty police officers, firefighters, paramedics, dispatchers and emergency medical technicians are welcome. Throughout the year, the SSL gives back to the community by welcoming various groups to take advantage of free round-trip transportation on

Indiana’s unemployment rate stands at 3.4 percent for July and remains lower than the national rate of 3.9 percent. With the exception of one month when it was equal (October 2014), Indiana's unemployment rate now has been below the U.S. rate for more than four years. The monthly unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people seeking employment within the prior four weeks as a percentage of the labor force. Indiana’s labor force had a net increase of 15,564 over the previous month. This was a result of a 2,964

Gov. Eric J. Holcomb announced that he has selected S. Chandler Lighty to be the new executive director of the Indiana Archives and Records Administration. Lighty will begin his new position on August 27. Since February 2016, Lighty has served as the Director of the Indiana Historical Bureau which recently merged with the Indiana State Library. During his time as director, Lighty led efforts to increase public interest in the state’s history. He advanced the Indiana Historical Maker Program and led other research and outreach initiatives. From 2013 to 2016, he served as a project manager at the Indiana State

As part of its ongoing commitment to safety, the South Shore Line announces that it is donating an out - of - service train car to the South Bend Fire Department Training Center to enhance rescue crew responses to railroad service emergencies. The train car, which weighs approximately 134,000 pounds and stands 85’ long x 10’ wide x 15’ high, will be moved Friday, Aug. 17th, via crane and flat-bed semi from the South Bend Washington Street train station to the South Bend Fire Department Training Center, 710 E Sample Street.

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity has been awarded a 2018 USDA Farm to School Grant to help promote access to locally sourced food in schools. ISDH was one of 73 recipients selected from 290 applicants nationwide. ISDH will receive $98,468 over two years for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s Indiana Grown program, which aims to promote regular access to Indiana-sourced foods in school cafeterias and increase participation in other farm-to-school activities. As part of the grant, ISDH will work with its partners, including the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana Department

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announces that U.S. 231 in Lake County will be closed at separate locations between U.S. 41 and Parrish Avenue through early September as crews work on a pair of railroad viaducts. U.S. 231 is currently closed at the viaduct just east of U.S. 41, with that work scheduled to wrap up next week. Then, crews will move to a viaduct just west of Parrish Avenue, closing U.S. 231 there until early September. State road detours must be on state-maintained roads only. Eastbound drivers on U.S. 231 will detour north on U.S. 41, east on

Yesterday, Governor Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced the selection of five recipients of the 2018 Indiana Governor's Arts Awards. The 2018 recipients of the Indiana Governor's Arts Awards are: Gayle & the late Bill Cook, philanthropists, Bloomington, IN Sydney & Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN Dr. F. Robert Sabol, arts educator & researcher, Crawfordsville, IN Rami Sadek & LangLab, arts entrepreneur & business, South Bend, IN Twyla Tharp, dancer, choreographer, director, author, New York, NY (formerly Portland, IN) In addition to the award recipients, Addison Agen, Fort Wayne, Indiana will receive

La Porte and Starke Hospitals now will be governed by a single ownership structure. In an amicable agreement, Indiana University Health sold its remaining minority interest in the joint venture and La Porte and Starke Hospitals will continue their focus on providing convenient, accessible care for residents in La Porte, Knox and the surrounding communities. Patients will continue to receive the same quality care from the hospitals’ skilled and compassionate colleagues and medical staffs. The hospitals’ boards of trustees comprising local community members and physicians will remain in place to continue to provide local oversight to the hospitals. The main

There will be a Medication Assisted Treatment (i.e. Methadone, Suboxone, Vivitrol) Townhall Meeting on Tuesday, September 11th from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM CDT hosted by the Porter County Substance Abuse Council. Hosted by Porter County Substance Abuse Council and Porter County Sheriff's Office provided the following statements, “Substance abuse and addiction continue to plague our families, friends, neighbors, and community members. Medication Assisted Treatment is one approach to addressing this critical epidemic. Together, we can dive deep into the fact and fiction of this addiction treatment. Panel discussion and Q&A from law enforcement, treatment providers, and individuals with lived

Rittenhouse Village At Michigan City is geared up to host their annual Antique Car Show and Cookout. Bring your own classic car or just come to admire a number of other classic automobiles and antique tractors. Executive Chef Leland Andersen will be serving up his famous grilled hamburgers and stadium hot dogs, compliments of Rittenhouse Village. You won’t want to miss all the fun so register your classic car today and cruise on down to Rittenhouse Village at Michigan City. RSVP to (219) 872-6800 by September 3rd! Check out the WIMS Facebook page for more details.

La Porte Community students go back-to-school today. La Porte Police gave out some safety reminders to help us all get back into the rhythm of things: Motorists • Slow down. Honor the posted school zone speed limits and observe for children in or near roadways. • Don’t drive distracted. Children can suddenly cross the street, or dart out from between parked vehicles. Cell phone use in school zones is prohibited by City of La Porte ordinance and is posted as such. • Come to a complete stop. Check carefully for children on sidewalks and crosswalks before proceeding. • Watch for

Valparaiso F.O.P. Lodge 76, Valparaiso Police and Target (Valparaiso Store) came together to sponsor the 8th Annual Shop with a Cop. The event took place on Friday afternoon at the Target store in Valparaiso. A total of 12 Valparaiso Officers assisted 12 students with purchasing items to get them prepared to return to school. Items purchased by F.O.P. Lodge 76 included shoes, clothing and back to school supplies. The 12 students were from Flint Lake and Thomas Jefferson Elementary Schools in Valparaiso. In the past eight years, the Valparaiso F.O.P. has assisted with back to school supplies and clothing for

Companion legislation to U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly’s bipartisan National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act was signed into law yesterday by President Trump. The legislation passed the House in July and the Senate earlier this month. Donnelly introduced the Senate version of this bill with Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) in May 2017. The bipartisan National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act will increase the effectiveness of the current suicide prevention lifeline system and Veterans Crisis Line by requiring the Federal Communications Commission—in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs—to study the current national suicide hotline system

Valparaiso Schools are back in session and motorists should remember to slow down in school zones. Many students will be walking to and from school and motorists should be aware of the increase in pedestrian traffic around schools in the city. A reminder to all motorists that speed limits in school zones are reduced during the morning and afternoon hours. Valparaiso Police will have an increased presence in and around school zones this week as students return to school. Motorists should provide additional time on their daily commute due to the start of school this week. School buses will be

This morning the Indiana State Police were proud to present three life-saving awards to three teachers at Morgan Township School and one to a member of the Valparaiso School District who was unable to attend the event. Eric Braden, Matt Wellsand and Gaelyn Mlynarcik, of Morgan Township School, and Kevin Marine, of Valparaiso Schools, were each presented their awards by Superintendent Doug Carter during a ceremony at the office of Morgan Township. Supt. Carter praised each of the teachers for their quick thinking and heroic efforts that saved the life of Jax Whited. Jax is the son of Indiana State

Sunset Hill Farms welcomed Devon Allman with special guest Duane Betts at the Prairie Magic Music Fest on Sunday. TEAM WIMS was broadcasting live and check out our WIMS Facebook and Twitter pages for great photos and video from the event!

Governor Holcomb released the report detailing the school safety recommendations compiled by a working group formed by Indiana Department of Homeland Security Director Bryan Langley, in conjunction with David Woodward, the Indiana Department of Education’s Director of School Building Physical Security and Safety. Gov. Holcomb directed several next steps regarding the 18 recommendations in the report: · The Indiana State Budget Agency will direct an effort to identify costs associated with the recommendations and how they might be funded, whether through existing programs or other local, state or federal sources. The governor will use the information as he determines his