Local News

Barker Middle School in Michigan City has been named a Distinguished School by Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a nonprofit organization that offers hands-on curricula in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. This year, only 12 schools in Indiana received this recognition, which is based on the number of PLTW curricular offerings available to students, the number of students engaged in PLTW, and student success in their PLTW coursework. All Barker students take courses in PLTW's Gateway to Technology track, which encompasses such topics as Design and Modeling, Automation and Robotics, the Science of Technology, Green Architecture, and Energy and

To aid in flood relief efforts for the Hilltop Food Pantry in Valparaiso, Monosol, a Kuraray Division, and its employees contributed $10,000 to help the organization build a new facility. The agency lost 50 percent of its stock due to flood damage following recent heavy rains in Northwest Indiana. Additionally, an anonymous donor will match MonoSol’s contributions, raising total assistance to $20,000. The donation will help the pantry secure a down payment on a new building, after six inches of rain flooded the pantry. Hilltop will move to Heritage Hall at Valparaiso University until May 31st.

Indiana's infant mortality rate is dismal, and advocates hope a new law signed by the governor will be a step towards reducing those numbers. Legislation (SB 360) that guarantees consistent levels of care to Hoosier mothers and infants goes into effect July 1st. It creates a system that makes sure moms or babies who are high risk go to hospitals or birthing centers that have the proper medical staff and equipment to treat them. Indiana University School of Medicine doctor and professor Nancy Swigonski says too many babies are dying and that this legislation is just a start. According to

Michigan City Area Schools is seeking nominations for the 2018 Michigan City Area Schools Wall of Fame. This annual award, first presented in 1976, honors school employees who have made outstanding contributions to the children of the Michigan City Area Schools. Employees from every area are eligible: administrators, custodians, food service personnel, instructional assistants, maintenance personnel, paraprofessionals, teachers, transportation staff, and secretarial staff. To qualify for nomination, the candidate must have been employed by the Michigan City Area Schools for a minimum of 15 years. Special circumstances may be considered for those not meeting the 15 year requirement due to

Indiana residents impacted by flooding and in need of debris removal and sanitation assistance can contact the Red Cross, which can help citizens connect with reputable and vetted relief volunteers. All services are free, but not guaranteed due to an overwhelming need for assistance. Those needing assistance may call 888-684-1441. County Emergency Declarations: The following 33 counties have issued county emergency declarations: Benton, Carroll, Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Elkhart, Floyd, Fulton, Gibson, Harrison, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Lake, LaPorte, Marshall, Newton, Noble, Ohio, Perry, Porter, Posey, Pulaski, Spencer, St. Joseph, Starke, Switzerland, Wabash, Warren, Warrick and White counties.

This past Friday, Managed Health Services (MHS) hosted a bullying prevention initiative at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Valparaiso. MHS sponsored an assembly in honor of National No One Eats Alone Day, created by the non-profit Beyond Differences. Students attended a bullying prevention program in the school auditorium performed by Young Actors Theatre. The students learned about social isolation and the negative impact it can have on a student's health and academic performance. After the program, students put the lesson into action by sitting with students at lunch who they don't know or who may feel left out. They were

Michigan City Area Schools is excited to celebrate the completion of a solar energy project involving solar arrays at 7 buildings. As far as the school system knows, this represents the largest, combined collection of arrays at an Indiana K-12 school district to date. The ceremony will be Wednesday, March 28 at 9:00am at Krueger Middle School, 2001 Springland Avenue, Michigan City. Project partners will be on hand and we'll have a ceremonial ribbon cutting to celebrate. (Additional information can be found at https://www.performanceservices.com/project/michigan-city-area-schools )

A dedication of an Indiana state historical marker for La Porte University from the Indiana Historical Bureau will be taking place on Friday, March 30th. The event will be at the Intersection of Harrison and Clay Streets, which is adjacent to Lincoln Elementary School (402 Harrison St) Downtown. La Porte University was established in the early 1840s to include law, literary, and medical departments.  The medical school served as a pioneer in medical education and training in the Midwest in the mid-1800s.

The Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) invites any interested community members to register to attend the presentation of the La Porte County Opioid Study commissioned by the Healthcare Foundation of La Porte through the Center for Health Policy at the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health. The study addresses the burden of opioid addiction in La Porte County and makes recommendations to address the community's needs and gaps related to this issue. The presentation will take place Thursday, April 19 from 8-11am at Purdue University Northwest’s campus. A continental breakfast will be available at 7:40am, and the

There will be an all you can eat fish fry this Friday from 5-8PM at American Legion Post #21 on Highway 421 in Westville. Dinner includes:hand breaded pollock, chicken strips, french fries, creamy coleslaw, salad, rolls and homemade desserts. Special veterans and senior Pricing: Adults are $9.00, Seniors(60yrs+) & Vets-are $7.00, Kids 12 & under are $5.00, Preschoolers are Free. Carry-outs available.

With spring break right around the corner, the South Shore Line (SSL) is expanding its Kids Ride Free program for spring break to include 3 children under the age of 14 to ride free with a paying adult on ALL trains (not just off-peak and weekend) from March 24 – April 7, 2018. For more information on train schedules, discounts and to plan your spring break trip, please visit mysouthshoreline.com or download the SSL app.

The La Porte County Sheriff's Office has announced that it is now seeking applications for the Neil Thompson Memorial Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship is available to any senior scheduled to graduate this year from a high school in La Porte County who has been accepted to a college or university and will be studying law enforcement, criminal justice or a criminal justice related field. Applicants are required to submit an essay, no fewer than 500 words, on why they will be pursuing a career in law enforcement. The scholarship was established soon after the 1980 death of Patrolman Neil Thompson,

U.S. Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) announced the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act, bipartisan legislation that would address the ongoing shortage of professionals needed to provide treatment and recovery services as communities combat the opioid abuse epidemic. The bill would incentivize students to pursue substance use disorder work by providing them with student loan relief up to $250,000 if they work for six years in areas that have high overdose rates or a shortage of treatment providers. The program would be open to a number of providers including physicians, nurses, social workers,

Governor Eric Holcomb has asked Indiana lawmakers to authorize $5 million more for school safety spending before they adjourn for the 2018 legislative session. The governor sent a letter to Republican and Democrat House and Senate leaders with the request and outlined other steps his administration will lead over the next several months to improve school safety. Holcomb outlined his request with Senator Long and Speaker Bosma on Wednesday and has discussed school safety matters with Attorney General Curtis Hill and Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jennifer McCormick in the past several days.

In regards to the 60-Day insurance moratorium issued by Indiana the Department of Insurance, nine additional counties were declared disaster areas last week in Indiana. In response to the new Executive Order signed by Governor Holcomb on March 7, the Indiana Department of Insurance Commissioner Stephen W. Robertson wants Hoosiers in all of the impacted areas to know that the 60-day grace period applies to them. Commissioner Robertson signed Bulletin 241 on March 2, prior to additional impacted counties being added to the disaster emergency. The Bulletin directs insurance companies to implement a 60-day cancellation moratorium for any policyholder directly

Michigan City Area Schools' annual "Wolfpack Roundup" will take place on Thursday, March 15 at 5:30pm. Students in grades 5 through 8 -- and their families -- are invited visit area middle schools or the high school on this date, to find out what’s in store for them at the next level. Barker Middle School, Krueger Middle School, and Michigan City High School will all be open for tours, a meet and greet with teachers and staff, and other activities. Wolfpack Roundup will provide details about academics, clubs, and athletics, along with information about the Michigan City Promise scholarship. Public,

The Purdue University Northwest (PNW) Career Center will host a Professional Educators Fair on Tuesday, March 20 in the Great Hall of the Dworkin Student Services and Activities Complex on the Westville Campus.. Students, alumni, and the general public are invited to attend. This event is intended for those pursuing careers in teaching, educational administration, social services, and school or mental health counseling. Public and private school systems from Northwest Indiana, Lafayette, Plymouth, Chicago and parts of Michigan, Texas, and Maryland will be in attendance with multiple employment opportunities available. The fair is free of charge and open to job

La Porte, Porter, and Starke hospitals, as well as physician clinics associated with the facilities, are ready to welcome dedicated, smart, scrub-wearing, friendly go-getters who want excellent training, advancement opportunities, and competitive compensation. The hospital network is hosting two job fairs in March to meet interested applicants for a variety of posted positions. The events are from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., March 12 at La Porte Hospital Main Lobby, and Porter Regional Hospital’s Community Room from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., March 13th,located at 85 E. U.S. Highway 6, Valparaiso. For a complete list of positions available, visit laportehealth.com/careers,

Michigan City High School will conduct a College Financial Planning Workshop entitled "Paying for College: There IS a Way!" on Wednesday, March 28, from 5pm-7pm in the high school auditorium. Panelists will include representatives from INvestEd, 21st Century Scholars, the Michigan City Promise Scholarship, the Unity Foundation, and Horizon Bank. Families will have an opportunity to ask questions regarding early financial planning for their students. They will also have an opportunity to sign up for the programs of interest at the event. The event is free and open to all families with students of any age -- most especially those

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) hosted two nights of Academic Super Bowl competitions for high school students in Porter and La Porte counties on March 7-8. Competitions were held in the James B. Dworkin Student Services and Activities Complex on PNW's Westville Campus. The Academic Super Bowl theme was "World War I," with students answering questions in six subject areas: science, fine arts, social studies, mathematics, English and interdisciplinary. Porter County high school competition The 11th annual competition for students in Porter County was March 7 with all nine Porter County high schools represented: Boone Grove, Chesterton, Hebron, Kouts, Morgan Township,