Local News

The Indiana Department of Insurance announced the surcharge rates for the Patient’s Compensation Fund (PCF) will decrease for 2019-2020. The new rates will be effective on July 1, 2019. The surcharge rates for physicians will decrease by 10.9 percent and rates for hospitals will decrease by 12.3 percent, which will result in an approximate $20 million dollar savings overall. This is the first decrease in surcharge rates since 2012. An official Bulletin, Bulletin 247, has been posted on the Department's website. The PCF is a dedicated fund administered by the Indiana Department of Insurance. It was created in 1975 by

Thanks to a grassroots fundraising effort by dedicated alumni and community supporters, Michigan City High School announced that its beloved mascot, Wolfie, will once again howl proudly in the Wolves Den gymnasium and other venues. The new and improved Wolfie will make his debut during halftime of the varsity Boys Basketball game on Friday, January 11, as the Wolves take on the Valparaiso Vikings at home. Tip-off for the game is at 7:00p.m. The identity of the performer inside the mascot suit is a closely guarded secret. However, the individual is rumored to be a student-athlete at MCHS. Wolfie has

Folks are invited to bring their “brown bag” lunch or snack and learn a little about gardening during four sessions presented by La Porte County Master Gardeners. Four sessions, two each in La Porte and Michigan City, will focus on aspects of gardening from attracting wildlife to gardening with kids. The next session is Wednesday, Jan. 16, from noon to 1:00 p.m., at Local Food, La Porte County Extension Office, 2857 W. State Road 2, La Porte, IN. The fee is just $5 for each session, which includes informational handouts, or $15 for all four sessions. No need to pre-register.

Representing Indiana Toll Road’s commitment to the Northern Indiana community, the ITR Concession Company LLC (ITRCC) has increased its support of local Marine Corps “Toys for Tots” Program and food pantry organizations. ITRCC employees collected over 800 cans of food during its Annual Internal Food Drive, which ran from Thursday, September 14, - Thursday, December 14. Cans were collected at numerous locations along the Indiana Toll Road. Those items were donated to Project Help (Angola, Indiana) and Brisol Food Pantry (Bristol, Indiana). As part of ITRCC’s partnership with the Marine Corps “Toys for Tots” Program, ITRCC employees also donated over

The Greater Portage Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 3rd Annual “Fish-On Portage” a fishing and outdoor show. This year the show will be located at Woodland Park, in Portage, IN. The move will allow all outdoor events to be showcased including: hunting, fishing, snow shoeing, archery, kayaking, hiking, bird watching, and more. Tickets are six dollars for adults, six for seniors, 2 dollars for ages 7 to 18 and children 6 and under are free. Parking is free. The Greater Portage Chamber of Commerce is currently accepting vendors representing these activities or other activities involving the outdoors. The Outdoor show

Michigan City Police officers were dispatched to the area of Grace and Walker Streets for a single vehicle crash on December 25th, just after 10PM.  A preliminary investigation revealed a Mercedes was traveling southbound on Grace Street from Walker Street. The vehicle crossed the South Shore Railroad tracks before leaving the roadway and making impact with a tree at the intersection of Grace and Holliday Streets. The Mercedes sustained severe front-end damage and both air front bags were deployed.The driver was identified as 65-year-old Michigan City resident Melvin Adams.  Adams was transported to Franciscan Health Michigan City by LaPorte County

Wednesday morning, an Indiana State Trooper escaped a serious single-vehicle rollover crash with minor injuries after crashing on the Indiana Toll Road. Indiana State Police Dispatch began to receive calls just before 8 a.m., of a single-vehicle rollover crash involving an Indiana State Police car on the Indiana Toll Road, approximately a half mile east of the Notre Dame exit.Preliminary investigation by Senior Trooper Lou Ruiz indicates that Master Trooper Bradley Kaizer, a 31-year veteran of the Indiana State Police, was traveling westbound in his fully marked Dodge Charger attempting to catch up to a traffic violator when he lost

INBiz, the state of Indiana’s one-stop business portal, launched in 2016 allowing Hoosier businesses to connect with numerous state government offices on one website. The one-stop concept has helped businesses stay in compliance with state law by putting numerous reporting requirements on one website. This year, the Attorney General’s unclaimed property reporting requirement joined INBiz. As a result, they collected nearly an additional $40 million because more business owners were aware of the filing requirement. INBiz has teamed up with the Indiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to provide Hoosier entrepreneurs and small business owners with business development advice as

Wagging tails and the occasional bark punctuated Franciscan Health’s third annual Pet Therapy Recognition Luncheon on Dec. 17 at Franciscan Health Crown Point’s Marian Education Center.With 24 people and 14 dogs in attendance, the event has grown from its first year when the pet therapy program began with six dogs. Today, 29 dogs are participating in the program with an additional four completing their training to join next year. Dogs must be certified by Therapy Dogs International or Alliance of Therapy Dogs to participate.The therapy dog program is currently at Franciscan Health Crown Point and Michigan City and will expand

Four Michigan City High School juniors are among the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) " Rising Stars of Indiana" Class of 2020. Each Indiana high school was invited to recognize up to four students currently in the 11th grade, based on their academic achievement. Representing Michigan City High School are Elliot Jasicki, Robert Lemon, Sara Poulin, and Megan Steinhiser. “We’re very proud of these four outstanding students," said Michigan City High School Principal Candy Van Buskirk. "They embody academic excellence and are involved in numerous activities at school and in our community. They truly are rising stars -- and

Michigan City Central Service Departments will be closed on New Year’s Eve, Monday, December 31, 2018 and New Year’s Day, Tuesday, January 1, 2019. Central Services will resume their regular schedule on Wednesday, January 2, 2019. Michigan City Transit Department will be closed on New Year’s Eve, Monday, December 31, 2018 and New Year’s Day, Tuesday, January 1, 2019. A regular schedule will resume on Wednesday, January 2, 2019.

The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest has been selected to receive a grant from ArcelorMittal in the second year of its special community investment initiative, “Building Resilience: Investing in Nonprofit Sustainability.” The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest is one of 14 nonprofit organizations nationwide that were awarded a total of $325,000. The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest will focus the use of its portion of the grant funds on developing a strategic plan for the organization. ArcelorMittal received more than 55 applications for this year’s grant initiative.

Indiana’s unemployment rate stands at 3.6 percent for November and remains lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent. With the exception of one month when it was equal (October 2014), Indiana's unemployment rate now has been below the U.S. rate for more than five years. The monthly unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people seeking employment within the prior four weeks as a percentage of the labor force. Indiana’s labor force had a net increase of 2,216 over the previous month. This was a result of a 2,122

The Indiana State Police is investigating a crash involving a pedestrian that occurred on Tuesday December, 25, 2018 at 7:21 PM. The crash occurred on Interstate 80 at the 1.5 mile marker on the westbound side. This is in between Calumet Avenue and Indianapolis Boulevard. A 2007 Gray Chevrolet HHR, being driven by a 58 year old woman from Chicago, Illinois, struck a male pedestrian who had been walking in the roadway. The male pedestrian’s identity is being withheld at this time due to the extent of his injuries and pending criminal investigation. He was transported by Hammond EMS to

Mayor Ron Meer has a vacancy to his appointment on the Michigan City Redevelopment Commission and will be serving in that capacity for 2019. “Michigan City is at a crucial time in its’ history. The Redevelopment Commission will be directly involved in major projects, such as NICTD Double Tracking, the retirement of the NIPSCO Generating Station and the development of the former Michigan City Police Station and the News Dispatch properties. These projects will have a substantial impact upon Michigan City’s future and growth and I believe it is important that the residents are represented by their elected official” said

A small bar of gold has found its way to The Salvation Army of Michigan City this season – slipped into one of the red kettles. Valued at roughly $1,260, the bar is one ounce of fine gold. It was found in a kettle that was stationed at the Big R store on south Franklin Street, and was dropped into the kettle sometime on Thursday. The gold was wrapped in small piece of paper that simply said, “Love weighs more than gold,” which Major Becky Simmons says reflects the love and support The Salvation Army receives from the community throughout

Two outstanding La Porte County students have been named recipients of full tuition, four-year scholarships as Unity Foundation of La Porte County 2019 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars.Lily Carmel and Abigail Roberts will receive tuition to an accredited public or private Indiana college or university of their choice, and an annual $900 stipend for required books and equipment.Lily Carmel will graduate with academic honors from New Prairie High School, having taken several advanced placement and honors courses. She has demonstrated leadership and initiative through her consistent involvement in school, community, and faith related activities. She is an active member of the

To accommodate passengers attending the NHL Winter Classic at noon CST on Jan. 1, 2019 between the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins, the South Shore Line will operate a morning eastbound extra and an afternoon westbound extra. The NHL will provide free shuttle bus service for passengers between South Bend Westmoor St. (just west of the South Bend International Airport) and Notre Dame Stadium. Busing will be available to passengers on the extra trains and EB Train 503 and WB Train 508.

Two outstanding La Porte County students have been named recipients of full tuition, four-year scholarships as Unity Foundation of La Porte County 2019 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars.Lily Carmel and Abigail Roberts will receive tuition to an accredited public or private Indiana college or university of their choice, and an annual $900 stipend for required books and equipment.Lily Carmel will graduate with academic honors from New Prairie High School, having taken several advanced placement and honors courses. She has demonstrated leadership and initiative through her consistent involvement in school, community, and faith related activities. She is an active member of the

Michigan City Area Schools has announced plans for a snow makeup day (for the day school was canceled on November 26). The district will make up this day on Presidents' Day, Monday, February 18, 2019. This will be made up as an "eLearning" day, so students will not report to school buildings on that day. Instead, they will log in from home on February 18 to complete assignments. For more about eLearning, visit: https://educateMC.net/eLearning