Local News

Wednesday morning, around 8:00am, Porter County Multi-Enforcement Group (PCMEG), assisted by the Portage Police Department and Portage SWAT, executed an arrest warrant on 35 year old Valparaiso resident, Jeffrey F. Vanautreve, for a Failure to Appear warrant at a residence in the 2400 Block of Odell in Portage. Vanautreve’s original charges were Dealing Narcotics, both being felonies. During the execution of the arrest warrant, three subjects were located inside; two of those subjects were released on scene and Vanautreve was taken into custody without incident. A search warrant was obtained for the residence and narcotics were located inside. Jeffrey Vanautreve

Chief Troy Williams of the Portage Police Department is making citizens aware that there is a city wide yard sale being advertised on Facebook that is hosted by Oddities & Objects - O.B.OT (Portage, IN - City Wide Yardsale). According to Chief Williams, the City of Portage has not authorized this, nor sanctions it. Additionally Chief Williams stated there is concern on the part of city officials and the police department that you are being asked to share your address and items you may be wanting to sell with no real idea who is collecting or watching this information. Chief

Yesterday afternoon the Michigan City Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) utilized an abandoned house in the City limits for training. This is a normal practice and the neighbors of the residence where the training occured were notified. MCPD said this type of training allows the SWAT Team to maintain their skills. A statement by MCPD noted that the department’s use of abandoned houses that are set to be demolished by the City of Michigan City adds realism and gives a more hands-on experience.

On Saturday, April 28th, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is sponsoring the 15th nationwide “Prescription Drug Take Back” initiative. The “Take Back” initiative seeks to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft through proper disposal of prescription drugs. Collection sites will be set up nationwide for expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs which will be properly disposed of without threat to the environment. This program is for liquid and pill medications. Needles, new or used, will not be accepted for disposal. This service is free and anonymous with no questions asked. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to

On 4/22/18, at approximately 4:32pm, members of the Uniform Shift II division were dispatched to the Metro PCS store, located at 1310 Franklin Street, reference a Robbery that had just taken place. Information was gathered at the scene and it was determined two black male suspects entered the store and approached the employees. A demand for the store money was made and subsequently received. Once the money was obtained, both men fled the store. The first suspect was described as wearing a grey shirt and black pants. The second suspect was described as wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black

Tomorrow, the Westville American Legion is organizing CASH BINGO at American Legion Post #21 on Highway 421 in Westville. The doors open at 5 p.m. and the games begin at 6 p.m. The $20 entry includes cards for all the regular games; special games are sold separately. There is an 80% payout on all Bingo games. There are cookies and other special games to win.. Food, snacks, and drinks are available, no outside food or drink please. This is a smoke free hall and players must be 18 years or older in order to play. Contact 785-2923 with questions.

The Indiana State Police is accepting applications for a Regional Dispatcher position at the Lowell Post 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. Two years of public safety communications experience and emergency medical technician certification are preferred. Pay starts at $30,082 per year. The deadline for applications is

Drive around Indiana, or anywhere in the Midwest, and you're likely to see some trees that turn green early and have a beautiful white bloom early in spring. They're likely Bradford pears, but state officials aren't big fans and are asking residents to avoid planting them. Megan Abraham with the Department of Natural Resources says they've become very popular because they're inexpensive and grow quickly. The problem is they've become invasive, taking over space where native grasses and plants, along with oak, maple or hickory trees should be. When Bradford pears first came on the market it was thought that

Start your Spring cleaning or continue your Earth Day celebration with 50% off drop off shredding services at Secure Shred, a division of Opportunity Enterprises. Now through May 4, 2018, patrons can bring their boxes and bags of personal items needing to be shred and receive 50% the cost. That makes each pound of shred materials just $0.08. To translate that, a typical drop off box of shred is a banker’s archive box that is about 2/3 full. These boxes typically weigh about 40 pounds, or just $3.20 with the promotion. All types of paper, magazines, junk mail, newspapers, bills,

The City of Michigan City would like to announce that The Ohio Street Reconstruction Project, between Country Road 400 North and US Highway 20, is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 30th. Traffic along that stretch of Ohio Street will be reduced to one lane, in the northbound direction with a posted detour for southbound traffic. All necessary measures will be taken to maintain access for local businesses and residents. This project, which is scheduled to be substantially completed by Friday, November 30th, will include the installation of new utilities and storm sewers. Future notifications and updates will be announced

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is now accepting applications for Merit Patrol Deputy. Applicants who successfully complete and pass the various stages of the hiring process will be ranked on a list for any future vacancies that may arise within the Merit Division of the Sheriff’s Office. The hiring process will include the following stages: application phase, physical agility testing, written examination, computerized voice stress analysis examination, background investigation, Merit Division interview panel and a Merit Commission interview. Applications can be found online by accessing the Sheriff’s Office website: www.laportecountysheriff.com or by picking them up at the front desk of the

The Michigan City Tree Board, in partnership with NIPSCO/Arbormetrics, would like to announce that they will be giving away 600 tree seedlings at the Michigan City Farmer’s Market, located at the corner of Washington Street and 8th Street, on Saturday, May 5, 2018. The Farmer’s Market is open from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and the seedling species given away will include: river birch, white pine, and several oak species. Tree seedlings will be given out on a first come, first serve basis.

Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) natural gas customers will see a lower rate increase than originally proposed in the company’s pending regulatory rate review, as a result of a collaborative agreement reached with the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC), industrial customers and the NIPSCO Gas Supplier Group. The proposed agreement is subject to Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) review and approval, and new rates would be phased in over two years with the first phase occurring in the fourth quarter of 2018. “This is a great outcome for our customers, our communities and the company as we

Indiana’s Primary Election is right around the corner. Tuesday, May 8th is Primary Election Day – polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. If you cannot make it to the polls on Election Day, you can vote early in-person or absentee – but the deadline to request an absentee ballot is quickly approaching. To cast an absentee ballot by mail in the 2018 Primary Election, you must request an application from the county clerk’s office by 11:59pm on Monday, April 30th. Applications may be submitted in person, by fax, email or by mail. “Voting is

Attorney General Curtis Hill announced today that Indiana is leading a 15-state coalition in support of a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the cities of San Francisco and Oakland against various energy and manufacturing companies. Indiana is joined by Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming in the amicus brief. Attorney General Hill issued the following statement regarding the matter: “California localities cannot dictate national energy policy or curb economic activity that occurs outside California. Unfortunately, we have seen a trend of certain states drifting farther and farther

Indiana Auditor of State Tera Klutz, CPA, announced that for the Twenty-Fifth consecutive year, Indiana has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). The GFOA established the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program in 1945 to encourage state and local governments to go beyond the minimum reporting requirement of financial data. The award was based on the 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) which details Indiana’s financial landscape and accounts for all state funds as of June 2017. The CAFR also includes other financial, demographic, economic

On Friday, The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced the recipients of the State’s first-ever K-6 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Acceleration Grants. The awards will be used for important research efforts to provide Indiana leaders with evidence of impact from STEM activities happening in classrooms across the state. Grant funds are to be used for research, surveys, and related staff support initiatives. These activities will develop recommendations to improve elementary and secondary student achievement and participation in STEM subjects throughout Indiana. Additionally, this will improve coordination among the various STEM programs. Through this opportunity, IDOE will enhance student

Friday, Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a proclamation calling a special session of the 120th Indiana General Assembly Monday, May 14, 2018. The Constitution of the State of Indiana provides that the governor may call a special session at his discretion if he believes public welfare requires it. The governor’s to-do items were included in the final versions of 4 bills. Schools and School Safety: ·Deliver on the governor’s request for additional funding for the Indiana Secured School Fund by providing $5 million now and for fiscal year 2019. These additional funds will allow the state to provide increased financial support

Early Sunday morning, an Illinois man tried to flee from a trooper on the Indiana Toll Road but couldn’t outrun him. Trooper Alaa Hamed initially lost sight of the vehicle in question after an initial pursuit but four minutes later saw the Impala come from an alley adjacent to the intersection of Indianapolis Blvd and 115th Street. A pursuit began again and the driver eventually fled from the car at a dead end and jumped over the fence. Hamed caught and tackled him in a backyard of a residence and placed him in custody. Found next to the driver were

Early Saturday evening, an intoxicated driver lost control while trying to get onto the interstate and hit another intoxicated driver. A 2005 Toyota Highlander, driven by 21 year old Jacqueline Adan of Hammond, was north bound on State Road (SR) 249 when she exited to the on-ramp to I-94 west bound. Adan failed to negotiate the curve, ran off the roadway, went northeast through the grassy median onto the I-94 west bound to SR 249 exit ramp where she hit a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan, driven by 32 year old Leonard Scott, 32 of Michigan City that was slowing down