Local News

Two LaPorte County professionals, Brandi Lewis and Brenda Stellema, have been selected to join 28 others from youth-serving organizations across Indiana to The 2019 Executive Journey Fellowship. In response to a growing need for ongoing professional and personal renewal in the field of youth work, the Journey Fellowship was created in 2002 and funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc. The Executive Journey Fellowship provides Indiana’s youth workers greater opportunities to bring more meaning to their lives and make stronger commitments to the field of youth work.Each of the thirty participants in the Journey Fellowship will attend a series of residential

Mayor Ron Meer of the City of Michigan City will host the 2019 Enchanted City Mayor’s Ball. The proceeds will benefit Lubeznik Center for the Arts and Friendship Botanic Gardens. The Mayor’s Ball will be held at Blue Chip Casino Stardust Event Center, Saturday, February 9th, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The evening will include hors d’oeuvres and cash bar. Enchanting entertainment will be provided. The dress for the evening is Black Tie Optional. Tickets for the Mayor’s Ball are available now. Tickets can be purchased at City Hall, 100 E. Michigan Blvd., Michigan City, Indiana. Tickets are $100

In partnership with both the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, the APRHF Rail Rangers provide onboard educational programs on the South Shore Line through Illinois and Indiana. Rail Rangers Interpretive Guides narrate the passing scenery to the public -- just buy a ticket at a station or ticket kiosk, grab a seat in the designated car (program takes place in one designated car on the train), and participate at no extra cost! No reservations are ever needed for South Shore Line programs, plus you can hop-on and off at any stop. These programs are presented

On Monday, officers from the La Porte Police Department were dispatched to a residence in the 1100 blk. of Clay St. around 9:30 p.m. for a report of a possible shooting. One female victim was located inside the residence with what appeared to be at least one gunshot wound. Initial reports are that there was a verbal altercation between the female victim and male suspect who fled prior to officers arrival. Officers rendered aid to the victim and secured the scene for detectives. The female victim is in stable condition at a hospital in Indianapolis. At this time it appears

The Indiana State Police is accepting applications for a Regional Dispatcher position at the Lowell Regional Dispatch Center which is located at 1550 East 181st Avenue, Lowell.Successful applicants must be able to receive, record, disseminate, and accurately dispatch information to police personnel, other law enforcement agencies, and other support services. The Lowell Regional Dispatch Center serves both the Lowell and Lafayette Districts of the Indiana State Police. A high school diploma or GED equivalent is required. Successful candidates must have ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing. The Dispatch Center runs on a continuous 24 hours per day

On August 16, 2018, Michigan City Mayor Ron Meer announced that the City would seek to conduct air testing in all residences in a four block area bounded by Tryon Street, Walker Street, Michigan Boulevard, and 8th Street, in an effort to determine if vapors from the former Concord Cleaners ground water contamination plume are entering homes in this area. It has been determined that pollution from dry cleaning chemicals used by the former Concord Cleaners has gotten into the ground water and migrated with the ground water to the north/northwest toward Trail Creek. The plume area has been defined

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon.

.WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT NOW, UNTIL 10 AM EST /9 AM CST/ WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Freezing drizzle expected. Total ice accumulations of alight glaze. * WHERE...Portions of northern Indiana, southwest Michigan andnorthwest Ohio. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The hazardous conditions could impact theWednesday morning commute. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of freezing drizzlewill cause travel difficulties. Expect slippery roads and usecaution while driving.

On Monday morning, Auditor of State Tera Klutz, CPA, Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson and Treasurer of State Kelly Mitchell took their oaths of office at the Indiana Statehouse. The ceremony, emceed by Former Indiana Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann, highlighted the strong female leadership within Indiana government. Governor Eric Holcomb spoke during the ceremony, highlighting the successes of all three officeholders before Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush administered the oaths to each official.

La Porte County Sheriff John T. Boyd announced the recent hiring of five new Merit (Patrol) Deputies. The deputies will fill vacancies within the Merit Division that were recently open. These five deputies are all currently enrolled in the fifteen week Northwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy (NILEA) basic recruit program. 25 year old Deputy Tyler Oberholtzer, was born in La Porte and is a lifelong resident of La Porte County. He is a La Porte High School graduate. Deputy Oberholtzer attended Vincennes University later earning an associate degree in criminal justice. He was previously employed by Four Winds Casino. Deputy

Yesterday, the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced that the Quick Impact Placebased Grant Program, a matching grant program designed to fund creative projects that spark community-wide conversations, is open for applications.Project funding ranges from $2,500 to $5,000, with a 50 percent match by cash or in-kind required. Eligible applicants can include community or civic organizations, local units of government or schools.Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to:Storefront transformations;Pop-up shop and gathering spots;Shipping container repurpose; andProject-based learning.The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs encourages unique and locally inspired projects. Successful applications will demonstrate community

Approximately 360 students at Krueger Middle School participated in the school-level competition of the National Geographic GeoBee in late November/early December. The top 10 students advanced to the final school competition. On December 12, Wyatt Bauer, a 7th grade student, won first place; Issac Williams, an 8th grade student, took second, and James Symons, a 7th grade student, finished third.The school-level competition is the first round in the annual National Geographic GeoBee, a geography competition designed to inspire and reward students' curiosity about the world. At Krueger, the contest is coordinated by teacher Janine Peo. Bauer, a 7th grade honor

The St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit is continuing the investigation regarding the homicide on N. Brookfield in South Bend, occurring January 13th. The shooting victims have been identified as Ajurin Blake (deceased), 16 years of age, and an 18 year old. Family notification has been completed. There is no suspect information to release at this time, and no arrests have been made. The investigation into the death of Ajurin Blake, and shooting of Nehemiah Watts is active and ongoing. If anyone has information, they are encouraged to please contact County Metro Homicide at 235-5009 or Crime Stoppers at 288-STOP.

The Portage Police Department are looking for the public's help investigating a sexual assault incident that occured at Countryside Park on January 7th. If you were in the area or on the nearby trails and witness any, all, or part of the incident, contact Detective Biggs at 219-764-5675.

In partnership with both the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, the APRHF Rail Rangers provide onboard educational programs on the South Shore Line through Illinois and Indiana. Rail Rangers Interpretive Guides narrate the passing scenery to the public -- just buy a ticket at a station or ticket kiosk, grab a seat in the designated car (program takes place in one designated car on the train), and participate at no extra cost! No reservations are ever needed for South Shore Line programs, plus you can hop-on and off at any stop. These programs are presented

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has been informed by the USDA the state must issue Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for the month of February on Wednesday, January 16, 2019, rather than the previously-reported date of Saturday, January 19. In Indiana, SNAP benefits are usually issued to recipients according to an alphabetical schedule over a 19 day period throughout the month. This one-time early benefit distribution was identified by USDA officials as a mechanism provide SNAP benefits during the partial federal government shutdown. No SNAP benefits will be issued in the month of February, so recipients are strongly encouraged to

The Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard SB 198 on controlled substances in penal facilities by Sen. Bohacek. This bill makes committing a controlled substance offense on the property of a penal facility or juvenile facility an enhancing circumstance at the penalty phase. The bill was amended by consent to remove the term synthetic drug from the dealing enhancement. Representatives from the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council and the Attorney General’s Office testified in support of this bill. The amended bill passed 9-0.

On August 16, 2018, Michigan City Mayor Ron Meer announced that the City would seek to conduct air testing in all residences in a four block area bounded by Tryon Street, Walker Street, Michigan Boulevard, and 8th Street, in an effort to determine if vapors from the former Concord Cleaners ground water contamination plume are entering homes in this area. It has been determined that pollution from dry cleaning chemicals used by the former Concord Cleaners has gotten into the ground water and migrated with the ground water to the north/northwest toward Trail Creek. The plume area has been defined

A slight chance of freezing drizzle before 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 34 degrees. Tune in for more updates on local weather!

Chief Mark Swistek and The Michigan City Police Commission, are proud to announce the hiring of two new officers. Sworn in by City Clerk Gale Neulieb, and Chief Mark Swistek during a ceremony in the Community Room were Officers Michael Ortega and Daniel Revoir.Twenty-five year old Officer Michael Ortega, was born in Hammond then later moved to Dyer, Indiana. Michael graduated high school from Lake Central High School in 2011 and acquired a bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Purdue Northwest Hammond, Indiana in 2015. For the past four years prior to accepting a new career with the Michigan City Police