Local News

A trooper and two other people were hit Wednesday morning while standing outside their vehicles. Preliminary investigation showed at 4:40 a.m., 24 year old Trooper Nicole Maenza, a 1 ½ year veteran of the Indiana State Police, was on the south bound Cline Avenue to I-80/94 east bound ramp investigating crashes. The ramp was snow covered and slick from earlier weather conditions. While Maenza was investigating one of the crashes she saw a Ford Expedition crash further down the ramp into the sound barrier wall and went to see if the occupants were okay. Both occupants, later identified as 41

The Senate yesterday passed State Rep. Jim Pressel’s (R-Rolling Prairie) legislation that would help victims and their families obtain trial records free of charge. Pressel said this legislation would allow a victim, an immediate family member or spouse of a deceased victim, to obtain an electronic copy of transcripts in the victim’s case at no cost. The prosecuting attorney or local victim assistance program would be required to notify the victim or family members of this right and would also be required to assist them in obtaining the court records. Currently, victims or their families must pay a fee in

Yesterday, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly announced his formal support for bipartisan legislation, the Fix NICS Act, which would improve the nation’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for firearms purchases. Currently, many federal agencies and state governments often fail to provide NICS with relevant information on dangerous individuals or violent criminals, leaving the system open to significant error. The Fix NICS Act would improve federal agency compliance through new accountability measures and would incentivize states to transfer all of their relevant information by rewarding them with federal grant preferences. In addition to efforts to increase compliance from federal agencies

La Porte County Prosecuting Attorney John Espar announced that a two day trial in La Porte Circuit concluded this past Tuesday when a jury rendered guilty verdicts against Omar Dominguez for one count of Dealing Cocaine and two Counts of Dealing Cocaine. The three transactions committed by Dominguez during the concluding months of 2015, occurred in a residential neighborhood located in the 500 block of East Jefferson Avenue in downtown La Porte. The case was filed in March of 2016 following the completion of three controlled buys of powder cocaine from Dominguez by an undercover operative from the former LaPorte

The Valparaiso Police Department, Valparaiso Fire Department and school officials are investigating two separate garbage can fires that were discovered in restrooms of the Valparaiso High School on Wednesday morning. The first incident was discovered by a teacher at 8:30 a.m. A garbage can fire in a restroom was smoldering causing a strong smell of burning when a teacher located it in the restroom. No damage was caused as a result of this incident. The second incident was discovered at 10 a.m. when smoke was located, in an area, of a second restroom on a different level of the school.

The 2017 film, “Marshall” will be presented at 2 p.m., Sunday, March 18 at the Michigan City Library, 100 E. Fourth St., Michigan City, through a collaboration between the Purdue University Northwest Odyssey Arts and Cultural Events Series and the Michigan City Public Library. The screening is free and open to the public. “Marshall” is a 2017 film drama about Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice and focuses on one of the first cases of his career. The film is rated PG-13. For more information about this film screening or about the Odyssey series contact Judy Jacobi, assistant

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,

Attorney General Curtis Hill and 54 other state and territorial attorneys general today sent a letter calling upon congressional leaders to pass legislation supporting victims of child pornography. The bipartisan bill: the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2017, would make it easier for victims of child pornography to obtain restitution. A similar bill passed the U.S. Senate in 2015 but failed to pass the House of Representatives. The letter is directed to House and Judiciary Committee leaders. A 2014 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Paroline v. United States held that while victims of child pornography

With shorelines on Lake Michigan, Indiana has a vested interest in keeping the Great Lakes clean. Today and tomorrow, a coalition representing business, industry, and environmental organizations meets with members of Congress to rally support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The Trump administration wants to cut funding for the initiative by 90 percent. Chris Danou of the group Gathering Waters says there's a lot at risk if that happens, and describes some of the initiative's work. In total, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has funded more than 35-hundred projects across the Great Lakes region.

On Monday afternoon, Porter County Sheriff's Officers responded to a personal injury crash in Pine Township, on the LaPorte/Porter County Line at Burdick Road involving a Porter County Highway truck and a 1989 Oldsmobile passenger car. The driver of the passenger car ran into the back of the stopped County Highway truck, which was filling in pot holes in the roadway. The driver, a 31 year old male from Michigan City, fled on foot from the scene prior to Officers arrival with all of the vehicles paperwork as well as the license plate from his crashed vehicle. Officer Doug Schafer

Merrillville-based MonoSol LLC is continuing to grow its Indiana footprint. The manufacturer, whose water-soluble films are used in products like laundry and dishwasher detergent pods, is planning to invest more than $70 million into a new Lebanon facility and create 89 jobs.

  The Luxembourg-based parent of one of the largest employers in northwest Indiana has announced changes at the top. ArcelorMittal Group Chief Financial Officer and ArcelorMittal Europe Chief Executive Officer Aditya Mittal has been named president of ArcelorMittal, reporting to his father, ArcelorMittal Chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal.

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,

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill this week is warning Hoosiers to “DOUBLE CHECK BEFORE YOU WRITE A CHECK!”. This warning comes on the heels of devastating flooding in several parts of the state. In the aftermath of flooding and other natural disasters, property owners are vulnerable making perfect targets for scammers pretending to offer help cleaning up wreckage and making necessary repairs. Many people will attempt to reach out and offer a helping hand. With this comes the likelihood that restoration or home repair companies – some legitimate, some not – will also try to contact those affected the most.

The Mobile Health Unit of La Porte Hospital will be out in the community throughout March to educate on colorectal cancer prevention during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Take-home test kits will be available. Take-home colon cancer screening kits should not replace regular doctor visits, or colonoscopy screening, but are a good tool to screen for blood in the stool, which can be a symptom of colorectal cancer. The Mobile Health Unit of La Porte Hospital will be distributing the kits in various neighborhoods in La Porte and Starke counties throughout the month of March as supplies last. Information will

Join the seventh meeting of the newly formed PFLAG (Parents, Family, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Michigan City and LaPorte County Chapter on Tuesday, March 13th, at 6:30 pm. Everybody is welcome who are allies including everyone in our LGBTQA+ community. Since it’s PFLAG National’s 45th Anniversary in March, join us in celebrating the beginning of an organization and a movement! Even though we can’t go back to 1973, we’ll revisit our LGBT community and supporters in the ‘90s in Michigan City. Special guest presenters Bill de Funiak, founder of our first local PFLAG support group, along with Christian

The 500 Festival, a nonprofit organization providing life-enriching events and programs that celebrate the legacy of the Indianapolis 500, today announces that Taylor Bowen, from Michiana Shores and a graduate of Marquette Catholic High School, has been selected as a 2018 500 Festival Princess. Taylor is a senior at Butler University majoring in Digital Media Production and Art Plus Design. Since the program’s founding in 1959, nearly 2,000 Indiana women have experienced the honor of being selected as a 500 Festival Princess. Each 500 Festival Princess will receive a $1,000 scholarship, made possible by Marlyne Sexton, an Indianapolis philanthropist and

Hoosiers affected by severe weather and flooding in Indiana will have convenient access to assistance, as the State of Indiana opens three state assistance centers in Northern Indiana. Three one-stop disaster centers will open the week of Monday, March 5. Lake County: 3460 Vermillion Street, Lake Station Indiana 46405 (Polk Elementary School, in the gymnasium.) Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Jasper County: 112 Carnation Street SE, Demotte Indiana 46310 (Demotte Town Hall) Open Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Open Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Elkhart County: 608 Oakland Drive, Elkhart Indiana

A Soil Health Workshop is set for Tuesday, March 20 in Westville, Indiana, at Herrold Farms located at 7707 South US 421 in their farm shop. The workshop will provide attendees with information on cover crop benefits, focusing on soil health issues and use of cover crops in specialty crop rotations on the Herrold Farms. There will also be a discussion of “bugs in a jug”, reviewing the efficacy of biofertilizers, biostimulants and biological controls of crop pests. The workshop will also provide the mandatory dicamba training for private and commercial applicators. The program will begin with registration at 8:00

Congressman Pete Visclosky announced the details of then 2018 Congressional Art Competition for high school students from Indiana’s First Congressional District. Each year, the Congressional Institute and Members of the U.S. House of Representatives sponsor the Congressional Art Competition as an opportunity to promote the artistic talent in each Congressional District. There is no required theme for the submission; however, themes from Northwest Indiana, United States history, government, and culture are encouraged. The grand prize winner will have their artwork displayed in the United States Capitol for one year, and will receive two (2) complimentary round-trip tickets to attend a ceremony unveiling