Local News

Press Release by La Porte Community School Corporation The La Porte Community School Corporation (LPCSC) announced that Dr. Benjamin Tonagel, currently serving as Assistant Superintendent of Student Learning, was approved for the Assistant Superintendent position at Duneland School Corporation during their board meeting on Thursday, March 19, 2026. Dr. Tonagel will leave LPCSC at the end of the current school year to begin his new role at Duneland School Corporation for the 2026–2027 academic year. Dr. Tonagel has served the La Porte community for 13 years, bringing more than 20 years of educational experience to his work. He served as

News Release by Indiana Department of Natural Resources:  45 new track chairs make Indiana a national leader in accessibility at state parks Visitors to Indiana State Parks with limited mobility will soon have a free tool available to help them get outside and explore trails, with state-of-the art track chairs coming to all Indiana State Parks throughout the state. “Nature is for everyone, and that includes the ability to enjoy the scenic trails at Indiana State Parks,” said Governor Mike Braun. “By making at least one track chair available at every state park, we’re opening miles of trail to explore

Michiana Humane Society will have their next Feeding Hope donation pet food drive on March 24. “People who contact Michiana Humane Society for help and people visiting the food pantry at Trinity Episcopal Church Michigan City benefit from your donations. Our amazing volunteers pick up the donations for Feeding Hope and are distributed to families in our community,” Michiana Humane Society said on their Facebook page. The event will be until 12:00pm CT on March 24. They will be collecting unopened bags of dry kibble and unopened cans of wet food for cats and dogs. “You may drop items off

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has established a new permanent rule that became effective in December 2025 (312 IAC 9-10-28) creating an invasive carp harvest permit. This new permit opens new avenues for large-scale removal of invasive carp, fosters economic opportunities, and protects native fish populations and recreational users. Invasive carp species, including silver, grass, and black carp, have become a significant issue across the Midwest negatively impacting native fish populations and recreational activities like boating and fishing. The new permit is free to encourage commercial fishing interest in removing these fish from public waters and help protect

Today A 30 percent chance of showers before 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 48.   Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.   Friday Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51.   Friday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.   Saturday Partly sunny, with a high near 55.   Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Press Release by City of Michigan City: MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — The Michigan City Common Council has unanimously approved a $600,000 appropriation from the Riverboat Fund to support construction of the Fedder’s Alley All-Inclusive Playground & Fitness Park, marking a major milestone in bringing the long-anticipated project to life at Washington Park. The funding measure was introduced by Council members Don Przybylinski, Nancy Moldenhauer, and Tim Bietry, with Daisy Lee added as a sponsor to the ordinance at Tuesday’s council meeting, reflecting continued support for the project at the council level. The approval positions Michigan City as a regional leader in creating inclusive recreational

News Release by NICTD / South Shore Line: The South Shore Line is pleased to announce the completion of the West Lake Corridor project line extension and the long-awaited opening of train service on the Monon Corridor. Along with the opening of the new line, the South Shore Line will be implementing a new train schedule effective Tuesday, March 31, 2026. This new schedule is the result of the capital improvements made to the South Shore Line infrastructure by the Monon Corridor (West Lake) Project. To view the full schedule of train times, visit:  https://mysouthshoreline.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Monon-Timetable.pdf Please note that the new

Due to weather, lane closures on I-94 in Porter and La Porte counties have been pushed back one week and will begin on/after Sun, March 22. Overnight lane closures will occur during the hours of 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for one evening on or after Sunday, March 22 to set up a median work zone to the west of U.S. 421 for approximately three miles. The left shoulder and lane will then be closed in each direction through early April while a median crossover is constructed for future phases of construction in the area. The start date of this

On March 12th, Judge Jamie Oss sentenced Nicholas Tochell to 18 years in prison for crimes against children. A jury had found Mr. Tochell Guilty of 4 Counts of Level 4 Felonies (Crimes Against Children) in February. On March 13th, Judge Richard Stalbrink sentenced Donell Davis to 65 years in prison for Murder. A jury found Mr. Davis Guilty of Murder, in a multi-day trial, for a 2023 homicide in the Westville Correctional Facility. Prosecuting Attorney Sean Fagan said: “Crimes against Children and Murder are offenses against all. The hard work of our law enforcement partners laid the groundwork for

News Release by Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Educators interested in taking K-12 students on field trips to an Indiana State Park property in the 2026-2027 school year can receive financial help through the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation (INRF). Grants from the Discover the Outdoors field trip grant program are available for all K-12 educators. “Spending time in our state parks is a favorite pastime and something that every student in Indiana should experience,” said Governor Mike Braun. “This grant helps teach students about Indiana’s natural heritage through our forests, lakes, and other unique natural areas, and I encourage schools

Whiting, Indiana — Tensions between one of the world’s largest oil companies and its unionized workforce have reached a boiling point. Starting at midnight on Thursday, March 19, 2026, BP is officially locking out approximately 800 to 900 members of the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 7-1 from its Whiting, Indiana, refinery. As the largest refinery in the Midwest—processing around 440,000 barrels of crude oil per day—the Whiting facility is a critical hub for the region's gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The lockout follows months of increasingly bitter negotiations, leaving the local economy and regional fuel markets bracing for the fallout.

Today A 30 percent chance of snow showers before 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41.   Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33.   Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 49.   Thursday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36.   Friday Partly sunny, with a high near 48.

On March 11th at 5:56 PM, the LaPorte County Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 call regarding a person who was traveling to Full Gospel Church, located at 2700 Ohio Street, to shoot a known parishioner while armed with explosive devices and a firearm. Officers from Uniform Patrol Shift 2 quickly responded to the church and located 41-year-old Michigan City resident Matthew Schutz sitting with parishioners. Schutz fled from officers and attempted to exit the building as they approached him. Officers discovered Schutz was in possession of multiple explosive devices at the time he was apprehended. Technicians from the Porter

The Valparaiso Police Department Released the following statement regarding a grossing guard being charged with child solicitation: "On March 4, 2026, the Valparaiso Police Department (VPD) learned of allegations involving civilian part-time employee, Crossing Guard James Jovanovic. The allegation stemmed from an incident that occurred on March 3, 2026, in Gary, Indiana. VPD then contacted the Gary Police Department (GPD) to obtain further details related to the reported incident. Upon learning of the allegations, VPD immediately placed Jovanovic on unpaid administrative leave. Jovanovic resigned on March 5, 2026. Valparaiso Community Schools (VCS) was also notified of all information pertaining to

NIPSCO and the NiSource Charitable Foundation Launch the Lake Village Relief Fund and Volunteer Recovery Efforts Lake Village, Ind. – Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC (NIPSCO), with support from the NiSource Charitable Foundation, is mobilizing resources to assist with relief and recovery efforts in Lake Village following last week’s devastating storm, which caused two fatalities and significant property damage across the region. To support impacted families and communities, NIPSCO and the NiSource Charitable Foundation are providing a $25,000 grant to establish the Lake Village Recovery Fund. In addition, NIPSCO employees will spend a day volunteering in the community, a

Clarence A. Edlen-December 16, 1943 - March 13, 2026 Clarence A. Edlen, 82, of Michigan City, Indiana, passed away Friday, March 13, 2026 at 12:12 p.m. at his home in Michigan City, Indiana. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 20, 2026 at St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Catholic Church, 415 North Brookfield St., South Bend, IN 46628 with Rev. Msgr. John C. Fritz officiating. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at the Ott/Haverstock Funeral Chapel, 418 Washington St., Michigan City, IN 46360. The

The Michigan City Police Department would like to warn residents of an ongoing scam that is currently taking place across Indiana. Scammers are sending text messages to recipients and informing them they received a “Notice of Hearing-Traffic Violation” from Superior Court in Marion County, Indiana. The text message will contain a link and/or an attachment with a Quick Response (QR) code for recipients to scan so they can pay for an alleged “Parking Violation/Failure to Pay Electronic Toll” infraction. The attachment will also contain information such as a fraudulent court/case number, list Marion Superior Court in Indianapolis as the hearing

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM EDT /10 AM CDT/ TUESDAY... * WHAT...Lake effect snow. Additional snow accumulations between 1 and 3 inches. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph. * WHERE...Portions of northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. * WHEN...Until 11 AM EDT /10 AM CDT/ Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday morning commute. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Cellular nature of snow as well as lingering 25 to 40 mph wind gusts will allow for variable visibility affecting travel.

News Release by Purdue University Northwest: HAMMOND and WESTVILLE, Ind. — Purdue University Northwest (PNW) invites prospective college students and their families to attend their choice of Preview PNW open house events, offered free of charge at both the Hammond and Westville campuses in April. The events provide valuable information about the university’s academic programs, admissions process and paying for college. Guests are welcome to attend either of the upcoming events: Preview PNW: The Westville Experience from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on April 23 at PNW’s Westville campus, 1401 S. U.S. 421, Westville, Ind. Preview PNW: Hammond starting 8:30 a.m.

The City of Valparaiso has announced 14 new grants in the 2026 Neighborhood Improvement Grant program, providing $106,256 in funds to support neighborhood unity and community improvements, with projects including tree plantings, disc golf, entry beautification projects and more. "Strong neighborhoods create a more engaged and connected city. We established the Neighborhood Improvement Grant Program in 2018 to strengthen neighborhoods, and the program continues to elevate Valparaiso,” said Mayor Jon Costas. “Each of these projects gathers neighbors together for a common cause of their own choosing." The neighborhoods receiving grants in 2026 are Beauty Creek Villas, Berkley, Bridgewater Estates, College