Local News

As a reminder, weekend/holiday train schedules will be in effect on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Information regarding NHL Winter Classic extra train service to/from South Bend will be announced in the coming days. Other holiday schedules and hours: The following extra EB trains depart from Millennium Station, and will not serve Hudson Lake or South Bend. Saturday, Dec. 15 – Extra train departing at 4:25 p.m. (Van Buren St. @ 4:28 p.m.), running non-stop to Hegewisch and making all local stops terminating in Michigan City.Friday, Dec. 21 – Extra train departing at 2 p.m. (Van Buren St. @ 2:03 p.m.), running

Mayor Ron Meer will be battling it out with La Porte's Mayor Mark Krentz in support of the The Salvation Army. Both mayors have agreed to ring a bell to support The Salvation Army in their respective communities. The winner will not only help those in need in their cities, but will also receive an awesome trophy. Meer, along with his friends and family, will manning the kettle at Al's Supermarket at Karwick Plaza from 10am until 8pm on Thursday, December 20th. Beginning at 9AM, Mayor Krentz, along with other officials from the City of La Porte will be ringing

All Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicle (BMV) branches will be closed Saturday, December 22 through Tuesday, December 25 in observance of the Christmas holiday. Branches will resume regularly scheduled business hours on Wednesday, December 26. In addition, branches will be closed Tuesday, January 1 in observance of the New Year’s holiday. All branches will resume regularly scheduled business hours beginning Wednesday, January 2, 2019. For a complete list of branch locations and hours, to complete an online transaction, or to find a 24-hour BMV Connect kiosk near you visit IN.gov/BMV.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announces that the SR 331 (Capital Avenue) bridge over the St. Joseph River in St. Joseph County has reopened. The bridge had been closed all week as crews set beams on the southbound side of the bridge as part of a two-year reconstruction project. Traffic has resumed flowing one lane in each direction over the northbound side of the bridge.

A New Carlisle man has been charged with 4 counts of mail fraud. According to documents in the case, 61 year old Kevin Clinton was employed as the Chief Information Officer at a South Bend business. From about March 2012 through about October 2017, Clinton caused his employer to pay invoices to a sham company that he controlled for services that were never performed. Over the life of the scheme, payments to the sham company totaled about $2,286,359.25. Clinton took these funds for his own personal use and benefit. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely

Porter County is now hiring for the position of Administrative Assistant: Central Communications (C-Comm 911). The 9-1-1 Administration manages Porter County Central Communications (C-Comm 911) which provides public safety telecommunications information services on multi-jurisdictional and 24 hour by 7 day basis. The system is mission critical to general public safety and security of the community. For a complete job description and to apply visit: www.porterco.org/jobs

All boys and girls ages 9 to 14 are invited to participate in the local level of competition for the 2019 Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship. The local competition will be held Sunday, Jan 13, 2019 at 1pm at the Classic Gym at St Patrick’s Church in Chesterton, IN.The Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship is sponsored annually, with winners progressing through local, district, and state competitions.All boys and girls 9 to 14 years old are eligible to participate and will compete in their respective age divisions. The event is free.

The Michigan City Police Department is currently accepting applications for Full-Time Police Officer positions. Benefits include longevity pay, specialty pay, healthcare program including dental and vision, take home car program, retirement plan, paid vacations, personal days and much more. The testing date will be January 12th, 2019 at 8:00am. Applicants must be between 21-36 years of age by date of appointment, possess a high school diploma or GED, a valid and unrestricted driver’s license, and be a United States citizen. Additionally, applicants must possess a good driving record, have no felony convictions, or misdemeanor battery charge. Applicants shall be subject

U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced yesterday that their bipartisan bill, the Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act, unanimously passed the Senate. This legislation will promote federal research on congenital heart defects (CHD) and raise awareness of the impact these health problems have throughout patients’ lives. The Senate-passed Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act increases the funding authorization level for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to $10 million per year, compared to the current funding level of $4 million, which will help states collect data on the prevalence of CHD and understand trends, health care

The Avon Police Department is investigating the disappearance of Richard Joseph Chittester, a 72 year old white male, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 170 pounds, salt and pepper hair with brown eyes, last seen wearing Vietnam Veterans hat, dark brown Carhartt coat, and jeans, and driving a silver 2006 Pontiac G6 four door with Indiana plate RVX310. Richard is missing from Avon, Indiana which is 18 miles west of Indianapolis and was last seen on Friday, December 14, 2018 at 4:45 pm.  He is believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical assistance.  If you have any information

Yesterday, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering up to $600 million in loans and grants to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. Telecommunications companies, rural electric cooperatives and utilities, internet service providers and municipalities may apply for funding through USDA’s new ReConnect Program to connect rural areas that currently have insufficient broadband service. Answering the Administration’s call to action for rural prosperity, Congress appropriated funds in the fiscal year 2018 budget for this broadband pilot program. USDA Rural Development is the primary agency delivering the program, with assistance from other

For select Saturdays in December, the South Shore Line will provide an eastbound extra “shoppers special” train to help accommodate holiday travelers.On Dec. 15th, this extra will depart Millennium Station at 4:25p (Van Buren St. at 4:28p), run non-stop to Hegewisch and make all local stops terminating at Carroll Avenue. The train will not serve Hudson Lake or South Bend.

Michigan City Police Department’s Uniform Patrol Shift 3 was dispatched to the 100 block of East US Highway 20 on December 14, 2018 at 03:21 AM for a single vehicle motor vehicle crash involving property damage. A pickup truck was found to have struck a utility pole on the south side of the roadway. Power lines are down across the entire roadway which resulted in traffic being shut down for safety concerns. All lanes of East US Highway 20 are closed at US 421 (Franklin Street) and Cleveland Avenue. NIPSCO is on scene and expects the roadway to be closed

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security received nearly $1.3 million in federal grant awards recently to enhance training and resources for Indiana first responders and kickstart a statewide campaign to install 10,000 smoke detectors in Hoosier homes.The funding will impact three specific areas across Indiana: 1) equipment and training for firefighters and emergency responders 2) fire prevention and safety in homes and 3) additional equipment and training related to hazardous chemicals. The total for the three awards is $1.29 million.The grants, which were awarded following a lengthy application process, supplement the nearly $800,000 in federal funding IDHS returned to Indiana

U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined his Senate colleagues yesterday in voting to advance the Farm Bill Conference Report, which is a bipartisan agreement between the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill. This Farm Bill compromise improves risk management tools for farmers, strengthens food security while eliminating wasteful practices, and ensures Hoosiers can continue innovative conservation efforts that increase yield and prioritize soil health. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 87-13. It must now pass the House before heading to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

Franciscan Physician Network is meeting the increasing need for primary care physicians with the addition of three board certified family medicine doctors in Michigan City. Jennifer England, MD, Kumari Singh, MD, and Liping Zhong, MD, Ph.D, have joined the Franciscan Physician Network Coolspring Health Center, 1225 E. Coolspring Ave. Dr. England has been at Coolspring since the summer, while Dr. Singh and Dr. Zhong joined more recently. For more information or to make an appointment, visit FranciscanDocs.org or call (219) 879-6531.

“The Duneland School Corporation always places the safety and well-being of our students as its highest priority. We value the quality communication from our students and families allowing us to address concerns swiftly. A referral was made to administration that concerned a Chesterton Middle School teacher and a student. An investigation was conducted by the schools and was referred to local law enforcement. Duneland School Corporation took measures to immediately remove the teacher, who has since resigned, from the school and all school-related activities. This situation is unrelated to previously released information regarding the seven student suspensions that took place

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security received nearly $1.3 million in federal grant awards recently to enhance training and resources for Indiana first responders and kickstart a statewide campaign to install 10,000 smoke detectors in Hoosier homes.The funding will impact three specific areas across Indiana: 1) equipment and training for firefighters and emergency responders 2) fire prevention and safety in homes and 3) additional equipment and training related to hazardous chemicals. The total for the three awards is $1.29 million.The grants, which were awarded following a lengthy application process, supplement the nearly $800,000 in federal funding IDHS returned to Indiana

The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a single vehicle fatality crash that occurred in Galena Township along County Road 1000 North. On Tuesday, deputies from the Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to County Road 1000 North, east of Beverly Lane, in reference to a vehicle crash in which the vehicle involved was fully engulfed in flames. Deputies arrived at the scene with Kankakee Fire Department and La Porte County Emergency Medical Services and found that a single vehicle was involved in the crash and was on fire. The fire was extinguished, and it was determined that the driver had