Local News

Nine community organizations have once again joined forces to host the Citywide Back-to-School Rally on Thursday, August 9 from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. The event will be held at Elston’s Gill Field, 317 Detroit Street in Michigan City. More than 1,600 students and their families are expected to attend this year’s Rally, which has been held at Gill Field each summer for the past ten years. The event will again feature free food, exhibits, activities, free lead screening and blood pressure checks, and a school supply giveaway. To attend the rally, families must be residents of Michigan City or attend

Congratulations to Daryl Westphal of the Michigan City Fire Department for receiving the Rotary Club of Michigan City annual Service Above Self Award. Daryl received the award during the Rotary Club’s luncheon at Patrick’s Grille on July 26th, recognizing him for going above and beyond in service to the community. Fire Chief Randy Novak of the Michigan City Fire Department spoke about the Firefighter award winner going to Battalion Chief Daryl Westphal. Battalion Chief Westphal has served the department for over 36 years and has served the department in many positions in his career as a firefighter, including Driver/Operator, Captain,

The Porter County TSP and La Porte City Police are joining about 230 law-enforcement agencies across Indiana and thousands nationwide in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over mobilization. From mid-August through Labor Day, police will be out in full force arresting impaired drivers. Expect to see increased sobriety checkpoints, roving patrols and saturation patrols. Indiana law-enforcement agencies have participated in annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over traffic enforcement for more than 20 years. Overtime patrols are supported with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) funds distributed by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI). For more information, visit "https://on.IN.gov/drivesober"NHTSA

On Thursday just before 7:30 a.m., officers of the Michigan City Police Department were dispatched to the railroad intersect located at Eastwood and Tryon Roads, in reference to a serious bodily injury automobile/train accident. Upon their arrival officers located a severely damaged passenger vehicle imbedded against the front end of an Amtrak train approximately 500 yards from the impact on the tracks. As additional emergency responders arrived it was soon discovered that the sole occupant of the passenger vehicle had died upon impact. A preliminary investigation then revealed that a 2014 Honda Accord was traveling eastbound on Tryon Road when

UPDATE On Tuesday July 31st, 2018 at approximately 3:17 pm, a male subject entered 1st Source Bank, 3905 Franklin St. Michigan City, IN. He announced he is robbing the bank and demanded money from a teller. The suspect instructed the teller to hurry up with this demand, before he starts shooting, in which the teller complied. The suspect fled with an undetermined amount of currency with no one physically hurt during this robbery. Approximately and hour later a Chase Bank was robbed in Portage, IN. The Portage Police Patrol shift located the suspect vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. Without

In a story WIMS has been following, the Michigan City Police reported on Tuesday that they have officially charged 67 year old Terry Marthinsen of 214 South Woodland Ave. Michigan City with 35 counts of Animal Neglect Class “A” Misdemeanors. The homeowner has agreed and signed off ownership where these animals will be treated and potentially adoptable. Numerous citizens have come forward with donations, and expressions of compassion for all of the dogs involved

Attorney General Curtis Hill announced on Tuesday he has joined a bipartisan group of 28 states in fighting to protect a historic cross honoring World War I veterans as part of a case with broader implications for the First Amendment. The 28-state coalition urges the U.S. Supreme Court to protect veterans’ memorials that feature religious symbolism. The coalition’s friend of the court brief seeks to overturn a lower court’s ruling that one such memorial violates the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The case at hand involves a nearly century-old memorial cross in Bladensburg, Maryland, started by community members and

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. Bikes will not be permitted on South Shore trains Aug. 2-5. All available space will be needed to provide service for additional passengers.

Valparaiso Police on July 16th began an investigation regarding five separate vandalisms. All the vandalisms were buildings and/or vehicles damaged with black spray paint. Through the investigation police learned of two male juvenile suspects that were involved. The two juveniles, 13 yrs old and 15 yrs old both of Valparaiso, were interviewed by Detective Jason Hamilton and both admitted to committing the vandalisms. Both explained they randomly picked the buildings and/or vehicles prior to spray painting them. Both juveniles are being charged with Criminal Mischief through the Porter County Juvenile Court System.

Firefighting agencies across the state will have new training tools now that the Indiana Department of Homeland Security has provided more than 200 Connex industrial containers obtained from Crane Naval Research Base in Bloomfield, Ind. The containers, useful for training scenarios for firefighters, police and other emergency responders, have been made available to firefighting agencies across Indiana. IDHS has moved more than 150 containers to a site provided by the Indiana Department of Transportation for storage, ultimately transferring them to fire training agencies across the state. More than 60 of the containers have been retrieved by local fire agencies. They

The Michigan City Art League is pleased to offer an Urban Sketching Workshop featuring Matt Kubik, local artist, architect and Purdue University Professor Emeritus known for his urban sketches of Rome, Italy. Join us on August 18th, from 9am-2pm at the Fada studio, 617 Franklin Street, Michigan City IN. The workshop will concentrate on learning sketching skills, using some tools of sketching and finally on site drawing of buildings in the downtown Michigan City area. Come and learn from a great teacher and artist. Cost for the workshop is $30.00, to be paid before the beginning of class. Class will

For the second consecutive time, Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) College of Nursing was named one of 16 “Centers of Excellence” by the National League for Nursing (NLN). The recognition is given to nursing programs that demonstrate sustained excellence in faculty development, nursing education research, and in student learning and professional development. A four-year designation, PNW was previously named a center of excellence in 2014. “Our faculty, staff and students earned this recognition together,” said PNW’s College of Nursing Dean Lisa Hopp. “Our excellence is present in our everyday teaching, practice, scholarship and service to our communities.” Hopp said PNW garnered

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office has announced that the driver of a hit and run crash, that occurred on July 21, 2018, has been identified and arrested. The crash had occurred on County Road 525 West near County Road 300 North and left a 20 year old male jogger injured. Immediately following the crash, the Sheriff’s Office sought assistance from the public in an attempt to identify the driver of the vehicle that had fled. As the result of tips from citizens, a substantial lead was developed regarding a suspect vehicle. The vehicle was located as was the driver.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announces that State Road 2 will be closed between U.S. 421 and State Road 39 from Aug. 1-3 for chip sealing. State road detours must be on state-maintained roads only. Westbound drivers on SR 2 will be detoured south on SR 39, west on U.S. 6 and north on U.S. 421 back to SR 2. Eastbound drivers on SR 2 will be detoured south on U.S. 421, east on U.S. 6 and north on SR 39 back to SR 2.

Historic sites in Michigan City will become museums for one night only during the Barker Mansion’s newest programming: pop up tours. Through partnerships with area institutions, guests will get an insider’s look at significant structures which feature a connection to the mansion’s rich legacy. The group will depart from the Barker Mansion at 7 pm and walk to the locations of that night’s tour together. Heritage Interpreter TJ Kalin will point out significant architectural sites during the short walk. Our last pop up tour of the summer will take place on August 4 at 7 pm. Participants will meet at

On Wednesday, at around 10:43pm, Officers from the Uniformed Patrol Division responded to the 100 block of N. Woodland Avenue in reference to a person being shot. It was determined that 32 year old Joseph Prior Jr. of Hammond, Indiana had sustained a gunshot wound. Mr. Prior was transported to Franciscan Health Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Detectives from the Investigative Division were summoned to the scene and began an immediate investigation of this incident. Detectives, along with the Uniformed Patrol Division staff, worked through the night locating witnesses and collecting evidence. Their efforts resulted in Jae’Vianna Aldridge being

A four vehicle crash, Tuesday evening, injured two drivers closing the three left lanes of I-80 west bound at the 11.1 mile marker one mile east of the Broadway exit. Preliminary investigation by Trooper Eric Madry revealed that a 1998 Ford Expedition, driven by 39 year old Rumaldo Dela Cerda of Cicero, Illinois was west bound on I-80/94 when they lost a right rear tire. This caused the tire to travel east in the west bound lanes and hit a 2015 Lexus, driven by 62 year old Soraya Torabi (female) of Munster, Indiana who was in the left middle lane.

Yesterday at around 5am, all lanes of the west bound Indiana Toll Road I-80/90 at the 39 mile marker (this is directly under U.S. 421) were closed after to crash. All west bound traffic was diverted off at exit 49 (LaPorte exit). Preliminary information is that a semi that was south bound on US 421 left the roadway for unknown reasons, went down the embankment onto I-80/90 into west bound traffic where it hit a pick-up pulling a trailer. The incident was described as not life threatening. A large amount of oil and diesel fuel was spilled.

Wednesday, Governor Holcomb welcomed Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó to his office to sign a cooperative agreement in support of a partnership between the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana and Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Budapest, Hungary. This planned partnership between the two Catholic universities expands the informal relationship the institutions have had for several years. As part of their work, Notre Dame’s College of Engineering will help develop new technology faculty and Ph.D. programs in chemical and mechanical engineering at Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Budapest—while select courses from Pázmány Péter will