Local News

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

The public is invited to celebrate Women’s History Month at the Barker Mansion on Saturday, March 10. Back and revamped for it’s second year, Wild Women and Wine will highlight the unconventional women who have shaped Northwest Indiana history through the decades. The evening begins at 7 pm Central Time with wine and sweets. The highlight of the event will be a performance from Metamorphis Traveling Theatre titled The Duneland Diaries. During the show, which will be held in the mansion’s Drawing Room, two of the eccentric, eye-turning women of La Porte county will meet head-to-head. Diana of the Dunes and Belle Gunness

Horizon Bank announced the recent grant award to the Purdue University Northwest Sinai Forum in Westville. The grant, in the amount of $5,000, was presented on January 17, 2018 by Jim Neff, President of Horizon Bank to Leslie Plesac, Executive Director of the Sinai Forum. Funds will be used to support the Forum’s mission, which is to enrich the quality of life in Northwest Indiana by featuring speakers who can engage our community in conversations about today’s important issues in a town hall format. Several topics are discussed such as politics, race and policy, physics, history, economics and sport.

To celebrate 30 years, The Michigan Education Trust (MET) is giving away $30,000 in prizes. Ten lucky families will win $3,000 towards their child's future college education. Parents of a Michigan child age 0-17 can enter the "How We MET" Sweepstakes at METforCollege.org. One winner will be drawn each month through August, and two winners will be drawn in September. Prize money can be applied towards a new or existing MET Pay-As-You-Go contract. To purchase a MET contract, or to sign up for a free interactive webinar to learn more about saving for college, visit MET's website at SETwithMET.com.

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and its Four Winds Casinos announced that the 2018 Four Winds Invitational will be held from Friday, June 8 through Sunday, June 10 at Blackthorn Golf Club, located at 6100 Nimtz Parkway, South Bend. The seventh annual tournament will feature a field of professional women golfers from around the world competing on the Symetra Tour – Road to the LPGA. The 2018 tournament will include 144 golfers who will be playing for a $150,000 purse. More information is available at fourwindsinvitational.com

The United States Census Bureau has released data on Indiana home building in the first month of 2018, indicating a small decrease for single-family construction starts for January. Single-family permits are down 10% from December 2017 when 948 permits were pulled. There were 858 permits pulled in January of 2018, a 1% decrease from January of 2017 when 868 permits were pulled. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes remains steady in January at 72, on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Any number over 50 indicates that more builders view sales

The Michigan City High School Choral and Band departments will be presenting three concerts during the month of March. Classics Night I will take place on Tuesday, March 6th, at 7 pm in the high school auditorium. This concert will feature all of the high school choral groups. Classics Night II will take place on Thursday, March 8th, at 7 pm in the high school auditorium. This concert will feature all of the high school bands. Swing Night will take place on Wednesday, March 14th, at 7 pm in the high school auditorium. This concert will feature the Treble Chorale,

The Portage Police department is hosting an “Active Shooter Survival Guide for Teachers administrators and Office Staff” workshop. Portage Township Schools staff are encouraged to register for any of the dates (March 13th, 20th, April 10th, April 17th). Contact Debbie Bolin at 764-5713 or dbolin@portage-in.com. Classes will be held at the Portage Police Department and are from 6 p.m.-8 p.m.