Local News

The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced that it is accepting letters of intent to apply from organizations interested in serving as IAC Regional Arts Partners. The deadline to submit a letter of intent is December 3, 2018. Organizations desiring to receive funding to serve as a Regional Arts Partner in Fiscal Year 2020 – 2023 must submit their letter of intent through the IAC's online system by 4:30 p.m. (EST) December 3, 2018. Guidelines about the Regional Arts Partner application process can be found at https://www.in.gov/arts/files/2020-2023-RAP-Guidelines.pdf. Organizations must submit their formal proposals to become Regional Arts Partners through the IAC’s online

On Wednesday, 19 year old Torreay Fennessee appeared before a St. Joseph County Superior Court judge and was sentenced to 30 years in the January 11, 2018 shooting death of D’Angelo Jennings in South Bend. Of those 30 years, 5 years are suspended and 25 years are to be executed in the Indiana Department of Correction. He was also sentenced to 2 years probation after his release from custody. Torreay Fennessee previously pled guilty by agreement on October 11, 2018, to Voluntary Manslaughter, a Level 2 Felony, and a Firearm Sentencing Enhancement. He was sentenced today to 20 years for

To accommodate passengers attending the Notre Dame vs. Florida State football game at 7:30p ET on Nov. 10, the South Shore Line and Transpo will offer FREE shuttle bus service between the South Bend International Airport and Notre Dame Stadium. Two trains will carry eastbound passengers to the South Bend Airport prior to kick-off: Train #503 will arrive at 12:10p ET and Train #505 at 5:06p ET. Arriving South Shore Line passengers may then board a Transpo bus near the South Shore train platform at the Airport for the trip to the stadium. Passengers will be dropped off near the

HealthLinc centers throughout Northern Indiana are offering no and low-cost flu shots to their patients throughout flu season while supplies last.  Flu shots will be available at no cost to any HealthLinc patient who any type of appointment already scheduled. For those HealthLinc patients that do not have an appointment already scheduled, the cost for a flu shot is $20.  HealthLinc has clinics located in East Chicago, Valparaiso, Knox, Michigan City, South Bend (IUSB Campus), and Mishawaka. “The health of our community and patients is of the utmost importance to us,” states HealthLinc CEO Beth Wrobel. “We want to give

Attorney General Curtis Hill has joined a 21-state coalition in expressing support for President Trump’s proposed replacement of the so-called Clean Power Plan, an Obama-era rule that represents administrative overreach and a disregard for the rightful roles of the individual states. The bipartisan coalition, in comments filed last week with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, described President Trump’s Affordable Clean Energy rule as far preferable to the unlawful regime sought by the Obama-era Clean Power Plan. “President Trump understands that states and the federal government can work together to secure environmental benefits for citizens without sacrificing people’s livelihoods,” Attorney General

Yesterday, Governor Eric J. Holcomb and INDOT Commissioner Joe McGuinness announced 283 Indiana cities, towns and counties received a combined $100 million in state-matching funds for local road projects through the Next Level Roads: Community Crossings Initiative. Now in its third year, Community Crossings has awarded nearly $400 million in state matching funds to local governments for construction projects. In 2018, 444 communities applied for funds making this year’s call for projects highly competitive. State law requires annually that 50 percent of the available matching funds be awarded to communities within counties with a population of 50,000 or fewer. State

Valparaiso Police are currently investigating two incidents of motor vehicle theft and two theft from vehicle reports which occurred overnight on November 5th. Each incident of theft was discovered after 5:00 a.m. and involved vehicles that were unsecured. The thefts occurred in the 2250 block of St. Joseph Ln. and the 450 block of Ridgeland Ave. Police strongly encourage vehicle owners to lock their vehicles when left unattended. Additionally, removing valuable items or placing them where they are not visible will assist with minimizing your losses. Police are requesting assistance regarding the thefts. Anybody with information is asked to call

Governor Eric Holcomb released this statement following Mike Braun’s victory in Indiana’s U.S. Senate race: “Congratulations to Mike Braun, Indiana’s next U.S. Senator. I’ve always said that we need more Indiana in Washington, and that’s exactly what we’re getting with Mike Braun. Mike Braun understands the 28 words of the 10th Amendment. He’s built a homegrown Indiana business and served at the Statehouse. He knows a thing or two about Hoosier solutions – and he’ll take those solutions with him Washington.”

For State Representative District 9, Pat Boy defeated Dan Granquist with 63% of the vote. For State Representative District 20, Jim Pressel beat Karen Salzer with nearly 61% of the vote. In the Prosecuting Attorney 32nd Circuit race, John Lake defeated Christina Espar 55% to 45%. For County Commissioner District 1, Sheila Brillson narrowly defeated Connie Gramarossa 51% to 49%. In the County Council District 2 race, Randy Novak beat Jim Rice with nearly 60% of the vote. Just over 66% of voters chose Mark Yagelski over Christopher Jackson for County Council District 3. For Center Township Trustee, Lisa Pierzakowski

On Monday, December 3, the Lake County Judicial Nominating Commission will begin conducting interviews of the applicants for the Lake Superior Court. A vacancy on the Lake Superior Court will occur in January 2019 to fill the position of Judge Jesse M. Villalpando. The applications for the Superior Court position were due yesterday. The following applicants will be interviewed in the hearing room of the Lake County Board of Commissioners, Third Floor of Building A, Lake County Government Center, 2293 N. Main Street, Crown Point, IN 46307 in December with exact times not yet determined. The interview schedule will be

Franciscan Health and Beacon Health System will break ground on the $21.6 million Franciscan Beacon Hospital at 9 a.m. CST (10 a.m. EST) Nov. 9 at the Beacon Medical Group building at 900 I St., LaPorte. The hospital is scheduled to open in early 2020. Franciscan Beacon Hospital will comprise 27,803 square feet of new construction and include a 19,086 square foot renovation of the current Beacon Medical Group building. The hospital will feature a full-service, 10-bed emergency department, eight inpatient beds, laboratory services and telehealth connectivity, as well as state of the art imaging and diagnostic equipment. Franciscan Health

The NFL announced The Bears home game on Sunday, November 18 has changed times. The Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears game will move from 1 PM ET to 8:20 PM ET / 7:20 CT.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) based on its review of the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Double Track NWI (DT-NWI) Project. This is a significant milestone for the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) that gives them the green light to continue developing this regionally transformational Project. The Project will result in reduced travel time, more frequent train service, improved safety, and expanded connectivity between northwest Indiana and Chicago. The DT-NWI Project will provide NICTD with the ability to add trains to meet the demands of growing ridership

The 2018-2019 deer hunting seasons are as follows: Reduction Zone: Sept. 15, 2018-Jan. 31, 2019 (where open) Youth Season: Sept. 29-30, 2018 Archery: Oct. 1, 2018-Jan. 6, 2019 Firearm: Nov. 17-Dec. 2, 2018 Muzzleloader: Dec. 8-23, 2018 Special Antlerless: Dec. 26, 2018-Jan. 6, 2019 (where open) A full list of season dates, bag limits, and legal equipment can be found on the deer-hunting question and answers page. ( https://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/7389.htm ) A valid Indiana deer hunting license (see page 27 of hunting guide for license types), resident youth hunt/trap, or comprehensive lifetime hunting license is required to hunt for deer unless you meet

Attorney General Curtis Hill announced yesterday that his office, working in conjunction with the office of United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman of the Western District of Kentucky, has obtained a $5.1 million settlement with two dental firms. The settlement resolves claims that ImmediaDent of Indiana LLC improperly billed Indiana Medicaid for dental services in its nine dental practices in Indiana. The other firm involved in the settlement, Samson Dental Partners LLC, provides administrative and other support services to ImmediaDent. The companies are accused of submitting false claims for payment to Indiana’s Medicaid program between Jan. 1, 2009, and Sept.

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. announced the wind-down of certain underperforming store locations as part of its ongoing strategic reassessment. To focus on its most profitable stores and improve the overall health of its store portfolio, the company will: -Close 20 U.S. stores. Most associates at these stores will be extended opportunities to transition to a similar role at a nearby Lowe’s store. The majority of impacted stores are located within 10 miles of another Lowe’s store. -Close 31 Canadian stores and other locations. Lowe’s expects to close the impacted stores by the end of the company’s 2018 fiscal year (Feb. 1,

Via ISHAA: "In the school’s first ever appearance in the state finals, North Judson-San Pierre made it count with a 3-0 (25-23, 27-25, 25-21) victory over Christian Academy of Indiana in the Class 2A championship match. At the conclusion of the state finals, the IHSAA Executive Committee, on behalf of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, named Lauren Cox of North Judson-San Pierre High School as the winner of the Class 2A Mental Attitude Award. She becomes the first female student-athlete from North Judson to receive an IHSAA Mental Attitude Award and the first Bluejay since Matt Vessely won for Class A

The Purdue University Northwest Sinai Forum features Robert Costa, a national political reporter for The Washington Post, at 4 p.m. CST, Sunday, Nov. 11 in the James B. Dworkin Student Services and Activities Complex located at 1401 S. U.S. Highway 421 on the Westville Campus. The doors open at 3 p.m. Hosting prominent speakers has been the cornerstone of the Sinai Forum's renowned 65-year history. Executive Director Leslie Plesac said The Forum is designed to give audiences a unique opportunity to hear noted speakers and pose questions in a town-hall style format. "Having a political journalist of Robert Costa's caliber

This past Friday, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly highlighted a troubling new report from March of Dimes that shows significant geographical disparities in maternity care access in Indiana and across the country. According to the report, 52 Hoosier counties have limited access to maternity care, which means they have few hospitals offering obstetric care and minimal obstetric providers. Further, 25 of these counties are maternity care deserts with no hospitals providing obstetric care, no obstetric providers, and a high proportion of women without health insurance. This can result in Hoosier women being forced to drive long distances for care or unable

The Indiana Adoption Program and Department of Child Services are partnering with the Indiana Supreme Court to share stories of children finding loving and permanent homes across the state.     Each November, in honor of National Adoption Month, state agencies work to spread the word about children waiting to find their forever homes. Again this year, the Indiana Supreme Court has authorized judges across the state to open their courtroom doors to cameras to allow the public to witness and celebrate adoptions being finalized. Most of these special events will take place on or around national adoption day on Nov. 17, 2018.    “The month of November is an