Local News

Ahead of National FFA Week, February 17-24, U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Doug Jones (D-Ala.) introduced legislation to update and modernize the charter for the Future Farmers of America (FFA) to reflect agriculture education in the 21st Century. The National FFA Organization's Federal Charter Amendments Act updates the FFA charter to allow for student officer vice presidents to reflect the regional diversity of the United States. Additionally, it provides governing flexibility for national officers in order to reduce operational delays caused by vacant seats. The amendments to the charter will also allow the

The next meeting of the Task Force for Assessment of Services & Supports for People with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities will be held on Friday, Feb. 23, at the Boonville Warrick County Public Library, 611 West Main Street in Boonville, Ind., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed live. The link to the livestream is https://Indiana.AdobeConnect.com/taskforce1102/. Public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting so the task force can receive input regarding services and supports for people with disabilities. Requests for accommodations should be made by contacting

The entrepreneurship committee of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) board of directors will hold a public meeting at 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at the IEDC (1 N. Capitol Ave., Suite 700) in Indianapolis. Prior to the public meeting, the committee will hold an executive session at 12:00 p.m. at the IEDC for consideration of confidential pending incentive requests made to the state of Indiana by industrial or commercial prospects (confidential proposals in progress), discussion of records classified as confidential by state or federal statute, and confidential application information as provided in Indiana Code §§ 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(4) and (7)

The South Shore Line will operate a regular weekday train schedule on Presidents’ Day, Monday, Feb. 19, 2018, with select trains stopping at McCormick Place for the Chicago Auto Show. All ticket offices will observe regular hours. Michigan City Transit Department will also be operating a regular schedule on Presidents Day.

The Town of Chesterton's Storm Water Management Board will move their regularly scheduled meeting to Tuesday, February 20th Due to the President's Day Holiday on Monday. Check wimsradio.com, as well as our Facebook and Twitter for more information on businesses and service departments adjusting their schedule for President’s Day.  

“Our board spent a lot of time vetting the applications we received,” said Lorelei Weimer, the executive director for Indiana Dunes Tourism. “We are very excited with the programs happening in Indiana Dunes Country this year, and we are even more excited to be able to support them, which helps make this area an even more attractive destination for travelers and residents alike.” The grants can be used for such things as developing and enhancing attractions, as well as advertising, printing and promotional expenses that bring visitors to the area and encourage overnight stays. The funds can also be used

Gov. Holcomb traveled to the Columbus Learning Center on Friday to participate in a roundtable discussion and to learn about the region’s successful and well-established workforce partnerships, including the Community Education Coalition and Economic Opportunities through Education (EcO) Network. While there, he heard directly from students who have taken advantage of local education and work-based opportunities to pursue pathways leading to rewarding and fulfilling careers in Southeast Indiana. The governor joined other state and local elected officials as well as education, community and business leaders. The goal of the visit was to learn about successful, locally-developed programs to skill-up Hoosiers and put them

An Evansville woman thought her husband was joking when he called and asked, “Would you retire if we were millionaires?” Donald Rebstock drove to where his wife, Lisa, works to show her the $1 million winning ticket. Donald won a top prize on a $10 50X The Cash Scratch-off from the Hoosier Lottery. His exciting week began two days before he bought the winning ticket. On Feb. 6, he played the new Multiply the Cash Scratch-off family and won $40. Two days later, he decided to play again at a retailer he frequents, Green River Motomart in Evansville. Donald bought

Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana is pleased to announce they are the recipients of a $5,000 grant from Horizon Bank for the “Opening Doors to a Greater Lake County” project.  These funds are allocated for the repair and replacement of doors throughout the Merrillville ReStore.   Habitat for Humanity manages two resale shops in Lake County called ReStores.  The ReStores carry new and gently used furniture and home goods, as well as building materials.  Horizon Bank’s donation will ensure the doors in the ReStore close easily and securely and are aesthetically appealing to the general public.  The generous grant

Take the South Shore Line to the Region celebration "219 Day" this Saturday, Feb. 17, in Hammond. Free shuttle bus service will be provided for the event between the SSL Hammond Station and the Hammond Civic Center. The shuttle will run from 5 pm to 10:30 pm on Saturday, with signage directing passengers to the shuttle. Click here for the event schedule and more information.  

STORY UPDATE The driver of the 2007 Volvo has been identified as David C. Sturgis, 53 of Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. Family has been notified.  Sturgis was driving for Dalli Trucking Incorporated out of Greendale, Wisconsin. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INITIAL PRESS RELEASE An early morning crash, this morning, involving two semis, resulted in the death of one of the drivers. Preliminary investigation, by Trooper Nicole Maenza, revealed at approximately 2:50 a.m., this Friday, February 16, 2018, morning, a semi pulling two trailers for R L Carriers out of Wilmington, Ohio, and being driven by a thirty-seven year old man from Heartland, Wisconsin, had just got

“The Department of Education is heartbroken over yet another mass shooting which took place in a school. Each day, Indiana schools set safety as a top priority. We train; we partner. We fully understand the importance surrounding this enormous responsibility. As a Department, we remain committed to providing the resources and guidance our schools need to keep safety a top priority.”

In the four years since its inception, the Indiana Department of Revenue’s (DOR) Identity Theft and Fraud Prevention Program has stopped over $110 million in attempted identity theft and tax fraud. A continued decrease in fraud dollars is expected for 2018 through the use of DOR’s three-step authentication to detect tax fraud and the agency’s collaboration with other states to share fraud data patterns. More information about stopping ID theft can be found on DOR’s website at https://www.in.gov/dor/4794.htm. Information about the tax fraud prevention program and how to report tax fraud can be found on DOR’s website at https://www.in.gov/dor/4792.htm. For more information,

Cold weather continues to grip much of the Midwest, and thousands of people don't have a warm place to stay on a regular basis. The federal government does an annual homeless count each year, and on one night in 2017 it found about 55-hundred people on the streets in Indiana. Owen Davenport with the Lighthouse Mission in Terre Haute says rural areas of Indiana have fewer options for people who can't find a place to stay. He says most people don't choose to be homeless, and for many, even though they're working, they're one or two paychecks away from being

The Indiana Department of Transportation announced the launch of INDOT4U, a new model for customer service that makes it easier than ever for customers to contact the agency and get questions answered and problems resolved. With a statewide customer service center in place, motorists now have a single point of contact to report a concern, obtain information, or provide feedback to INDOT via phone at 1-855-463-6848, online at www.indot4u.com, by email, or using the INDOT mobile app. "INDOT is making it easier for Hoosiers to ask questions and report roadway concerns while also reducing turnaround time on services like pothole

Attorney General Curtis Hill announced on Thursday that he has expanded his opioid legal team, which is investigating various options under consideration by the State of Indiana, including litigation. The national law firm Cohen Milstein Sellers and Toll PLLC will bolster the state’s legal analysis and litigation experience in this complex area of opioid accountability, Attorney General Hill said.   “Adding this firm to support our investigation is the next logical step in the multifaceted strategic approach we have employed over the past several months,” Attorney General Hill said. “From my first day in office, we have prioritized much of our

The Porter County Sheriff’s Office has received a number of calls recently from residents about a new scam targeting Porter County. Individuals have received calls from someone who indicates they are an officer with the Porter County Sheriff’s Office and informs them they have a warrant out for their arrest. Citing the names of local judges, these calls sound very realistic. They then ask that the person pay them with Visa or American Express gift cards. The Sheriff’s Office wants to assure you that they do not accept payment over the phone and would not accept payment in this format.

29 new firefighters representing 14 volunteer fire departments will celebrate the completion of a rigorous 6-month training program at the Multi Agency Academic Cooperative (MAAC) Foundation. According to the National Fire Protection Association, nearly 70 percent of firefighters in the United States are volunteers saving taxpayers an estimated $139.8 billion per year. These men and women spent nights and weekends, at their own expense, completing the training necessary to become certified. The graduation ceremony will be held on: Friday, February 16th at 5:00 PM Wheeler High School Auditorium 587 W 300 N Valparaiso, Indiana 46385. For more information visit: www.maacfoundation.com.

U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) met this week with President Trump at the White House along with a bipartisan group of 19 Senate and House colleagues to discuss trade issues. The Congressional delegation met with President Trump, Vice President Pence, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, and National Economic Council Chairman Gary Cohn to discuss the ongoing dual investigations into the effect of imports of steel and aluminum on U.S. national security. Senator Young reinforced to the President and his Cabinet the importance of both the steel and aluminum industries to Indiana, and urged a balanced

  As of 12:00 p.m. today, the parking restrictions that had been set in place last week by the City of Michigan City, due to the snow removal conditions, were lifted.   Normal parking rules and regulations are back in effect. Mayor Meer also thanked the citizens for their help and cooperation during the snow removal process.