Local News

The Duneland Chamber of Commerce has been recognized as one of five finalists for the statewide Indiana Chamber of the Year for 2018. The organization was judged by a panel of five professionals located outside of Indiana in the areas of leadership and organization; finance; advocacy; membership; and programming, and finalists for the award were announced during the Annual Conference of the Indiana Chamber Executives Association. The Duneland Chamber of Commerce is a catalyst organization committed to ensuring that its member communities are vibrant places to live, work and play. Through service to the towns of Beverly Shores, Burns Harbor,

The Valparaiso Board of Works recently approved an Emergency Hiring Process for the police department. This is due to the immediate need for an experienced police officer. The Emergency Hiring Process allows the department to hire an experienced police officer expediting the training time, which typically takes up to one year. The department is accepting applications for current certified sworn police officers who are Indiana Law Enforcement Academy graduates and currently members of the Indiana Public Employee/Police Retirement Fund (PERF). Experienced officers may also be eligible for the department’s lateral transfer program. Applications must be completed and returned to the

On Thursday, Porter County Multi-Enforcement Group (PCMEG) executed a search warrant in the 800 Block of Elkhart Street in the Aetna Area, with the assistance of the Gary Narcotics Unit and Gary S.W.A.T. PCMEG recovered 3 handguns, ammunition, drugs (including cocaine, marijuana and steroids), paraphernalia, scales and approximately $1,500.00 in cash from the residence. Arrested on initial charges of Felony Possession of Narcotics, was 47 year old Gary resident, Marshall Brown. PCMEG is filing additional charges with the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office for Dealing. Brown was transported to the Lake County Jail.

The Northern Indiana Bank On Alliance is teaming up with WorkOne to offer free financial classes in Elkhart, Lake, LaPorte, Porter and St. Joseph Counties. The Alliance and WorkOne have been working together for more than year to develop the program curriculum. Classes are open to the public and available at WorkOne offices in Elkhart, Gary, Hammond, LaPorte, Portage and South Bend. Class topics include financial recovery, budgeting, banking, credit scores and small business planning. Class schedules and times vary. The program is powered by the local United Ways and Purdue Extension Offices across the five counties. In 2015, the

Thursday, during a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee business meeting, Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03) was named chairman of the newly established Subcommittee on Technology Modernization. The subcommittee will provide oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) electronic health records transition and other enterprise technology modernization projects. The subcommittee will oversee technology modernization projects at the VA, principally the $15.8 billion, 10-year electronic health record modernization program which will replace the department’s legacy EHR system with the commercial Cerner Millennium EHR. This is the largest EHR transition effort in the country and one of the largest IT contracts in the federal

Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson will travel the state educating citizens on investment fraud using a variation on BINGO. The game is designed to educate Hoosiers on how to avoid falling prey to fraudsters. All events are free and will include prizes and refreshments. Secretary Lawson will visit the following locations for a BINGO event throughout the summer to educate citizens on investment fraud. All events are free to the public and open to the media. The event will last for an hour. All times are local. September 11th – South Bend, St. Joseph County Public Library (Main Library)

The Porter County Health Department is accepting applications for the position of Full Time Food Service Coordinator (35 hours per week). The incumbent will be responsible for completing a variety of daily, monthly and annual reports to be submitted to the Health Administrator. Applications can be obtained online @ www.porterco.org/DocumentCenter or at the Porter County Health Department, 155 Indiana Ave, Suite 104, Valparaiso, IN 46383. Applicants should submit a resume, cover letter and completed application to the above address, attention: Letty Zepeda, Health Department Administrator. For more information and to download an application visit: www.porterco.org/jobs.aspx

The popular Behind the Scenes Tours journey into the nooks and crannies of the building which are normally off-limits. Guests discover remnants of the past such as the central vacuum system, the furnace, and intricate electrical panels. The two-hour tour takes participants on back stairways and into the basement. The Barker Mansion is located at 631 Washington Street in Michigan City, IN. The 38-room mansion was built by freight car industrialist and philanthropist John H. Barker in 1905, after he expanded onto his father’s original 1857 home on the same site. Barker took advantage of the mansion’s location right next

An anonymous donor gifted Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana with a $65,000 donation toward building a home in Hammond. “We were thrilled to receive this very generous gift which will help another family remove themselves from a high-rent situation and into their very own home,” said Executive Director Dawn Michaels. “We send a very genuine thank you to this kind-hearted donor.” While this donation will fund a significant portion of a three-bedroom, one bathroom, single-family home in Hammond, an additional $30,000 will need to be raised before construction can begin. Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana ensures all funding

A driver distracted by a bug that flew into his semi, crashed causing I-65 south bound to be closed for hours. Preliminary investigation by Master Trooper Martin Benner revealed at approximately 9:35 a.m., this Thursday, July 12, 2018, morning, a 2009 Freightliner, owned by EM Company out of Lawrenceville, Georgia, and driven by Christopher Walker, 28 of Thomson, Georgia, was south bound on I-65 in the right lane at the 235 mile marker (this is approximately five miles south of the Lowell exit) when a bug flew in from his downed window.  Walker tried to swat the bug and took his

Valparaiso Police Department’s K9 Kaiser has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Kaiser’s vest was embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of K9 Ty, California City Police Department”. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c(3) charity located in East Taunton, MA whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for

Tuesday evening, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly was named to the conference committee that will negotiate a final national defense bill. Last month, the Senate passed the bipartisan national defense bill, which includes several provisions Donnelly led or supported to reinforce Indiana’s role in our national defense and to protect American security interests and U.S. defense-related jobs. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a different version in late May and the two versions must now be reconciled by the conference committee. The defense bill has been signed into law the last 56 consecutive years. Donnelly, a member of the Senate Armed

The Porter County Health Department is accepting applications for the position of Full Time Environmental Health Specialist II (35 hours per week). The incumbent will be responsible for, but not limited to inspecting sites prior to construction of sewage disposal systems. Incumbent will provide information and assistance where needed concerning septic systems, wells and other environmental concerns including issuing and denying permits. Will investigate environmental pollutants and will provide corrective and/or legal actions as required. Responsible for inspecting private wells, septic systems for loan approvals; investigates and conducts routine/required inspections, surveys and water sampling. Will monitor and inspect tattoo facilities,

A vehicle that fled the scene of a crash was reported stolen from Joliet, Illinois on Monday afternoon. A silver Nissan was involved in a hit and run on I-65 southbound at the 244 mile marker. The other driver was able to get a description and the plate number of the fleeing car. After running the plate, the vehicle was found to be stolen from Joliet, Illinois on July 8. Indiana State Trooper Corey Adam saw the stolen Nissan and made a traffic stop on I-65. The driver initially stopped and then fled from the scene. The Nissan swerved and

Wednesday, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) welcomed the announcement by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that a new $100 million “Connected Care Pilot Program” is being established to support telehealth for veterans and Americans in rural and low-income areas. Senator Young hosted FCC Commissioner Carr in Indiana in May to get a firsthand look at the need for continued investments in rural broadband and telehealth. They visited Hancock Health operations in McCordsville and viewed a demonstration from the chief medical officer on how they are able to use telemedicine to collaborate between physicians to diagnose and treat cancer. As a

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) has confirmed the state’s first death related to a multi-state outbreak of hepatitis A, a highly contagious disease of the liver. The outbreak has caused nearly 4,000 illnesses in 10 states and resulted in multiple fatalities nationwide. No additional details about the patient will be released due to privacy laws. Since November 2017, ISDH has confirmed 214 outbreak-related cases of hepatitis A. Indiana typically sees about 20 cases in a 12-month period. Over the past several months, Indiana health officials have been working to educate the public, restaurants, jails and groups that serve

The Dance Foundation of La Porte (DFLP, LLC) recently held a ribbon cutting to celebrate their opening in Downtown La Porte at 910 ½ Lincolnway. The ribbon cutting was administered by the Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce. Kristin Anderson, the owner of DFLP LLC, stated at the event, “This is the studio location I grew up dancing, so I am so excited to be opening up in this location in Downtown La Porte. Our mission is to be an inclusive studio by offering classes for multiple ages and abilities. Each person is unique in his or her own way

The Porter County Health Department is accepting applications for the position of Full Time Environmental Health Specialist II (35 hours per week). The incumbent will be responsible for, but not limited to inspecting sites prior to construction of sewage disposal systems. Incumbent will provide information and assistance where needed concerning septic systems, wells and other environmental concerns including issuing and denying permits. Will investigate environmental pollutants and will provide corrective and/or legal actions as required. Responsible for inspecting private wells, septic systems for loan approvals; investigates and conducts routine/required inspections, surveys and water sampling. Will monitor and inspect tattoo facilities,

The Indiana State Police Capitol Police Section is now accepting applications. Individuals who are interested in beginning a rewarding career as a Capitol Police Officer may apply online at https://www.in.gov/isp/2367.htm. This website will provide a detailed synopsis of the application process as well as information on additional career opportunities with the Indiana State Police Department. Applications must be received via online submission by 11:59 pm (EDT) on Wednesday, July 18, 2018. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted. The academy begins on October 8, 2018. The starting salary for a Capitol Police Section Probationary Officer is $44,497.00 a

The following South Shore Line service updates will be in effect to accommodate passengers attending the Taste of Chicago taking place Wednesday, July 11, through Sunday, July 15, in Grant Park: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Westbound Train #14 will operate an extra for additional capacity to accommodate passengers heading to Chicago in the morning. Train #14 and its extra will make all regular stops to Chicago. Alcohol will not be permitted on South Shore trains after 7 p.m. Please be advised that glass bottles are always prohibited. Saturday & Sunday: Westbound Train #606 will operate an extra for additional capacity to