Local News

In a statement from the Westville Police Tuesday regarding the Westville boil water order, utility employees have the plant up and running and the first round of water samples has been sent off for testing. When these tests come back a mandatory second round of tests will be sent in. The utility workers are hopeful that the boil advisory will be lifted some time today. The police are relaying information as they get it. The advisory is for ingestion, the water is acceptable for bathing, laundry, cleaning.

The Michigan City Public Library is planning a $1.6 million, three-year remodel project that will add a Makerspace, new meeting room space and enhance computer availability.  The first phase of the project will begin in February and should conclude by August.  The cost of the remodel is spread over three years and paid for with saved and existing resources.  No bond issue or capital project funds will be expended. Phase I will begin in the Youth Services Department and include Audio-Visual and Periodical updates.  The creation of a Makerspace located in the Youth Services is included in the first phase.

On Tuesday, Governor Eric Holcomb will detail the state's plan to pilot a program aimed at teaching prison inmates in coding ahead of their release dates. Indiana will become the first state outside of California to adopt the program, known as The Last Mile, which aims to align inmates with gainful employment upon release. Indiana will first begin training women how to code at the Indiana Women's Prison as part of the pilot. Holcomb will have more details Tuesday alongside the program's founder, Chris Redlitz, and co-founder and program graduate Kenyatta Leal.

Four Winds South Bend will open on today. The state's newest casino is part of a $400 million planned investment that also includes a tribal village on the sovereign territory of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. The casino sits on 166 acres and construction began more than two years ago. The property includes 175,000 square-feet of gaming space and is the fourth Four Winds-branded casino. It is expected to eventually employ around 1,200 people. Today's ribbon cutting ceremony will include Pokagon Band Chairman John Warren, Four Winds Casino Resort Chief Operating Officer Frank Freedman and Four Winds South Bend

Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) is among a group of senators calling on President Donald Trump to renew the declaration of the opioid epidemic as a public health emergency. The current declaration, issued in October, is set to expire January 23. The letter suggests there has been "too little action taken" to battle the epidemic since Trump made the declaration on October 26. Donnelly praised President Trump for making the declaration at the time, saying it will take an "all-hands-on-deck approach" to tackle the issue.

INDOT announced the kick off of its 2018 Paint the Plow campaign, a community outreach program designed to promote safety and awareness of INDOT’s Winter Operations all year long. Each INDOT District invites art classes/programs from middle and high schools to paint an INDOT snow plow blade with original artwork to represent their school. Applications and additional program details can be found at https://www.in.gov/indot/3427.htm. Paint the Plow is open to all middle schools, high schools and career-technical schools across the state. Only students who are currently enrolled in the applicant school may participate in the creation, execution and completion of the

Shortly after 10 p.m. last Thursday night, the South Bend Police Department was called to the 1800 block of North Johnson Street in reference to a shooting. Upon arrival, officers discovered a 17 year old male in the home suffering from apparent gunshot wounds; he was pronounced deceased at the scene. The victim has been positively identified as D’Angelo Jennings. The St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit (CMHU) was called out to handle the investigation. Investigators interviewed several individuals and continue to investigate; this is an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to

Prison populations are dropping in most states, but a new study finds that the number of incarcerated women is not falling as fast as it is for men. Nationally the total prison population peaked around 2009. The study, compiled by the Prison Policy Initiative, shows that most states have made progress in reducing their overall prison populations over the past ten years, but incarceration rates for women have generally stayed about the same. According to Wendy Sawyer, author of the report, one reason may be that women in prison may receive harsher punishments for rule violations than men do for

Due to a boil water order from the town of Westville, the Purdue University Northwest Westville Campus will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 16, with anticipated reopening at noon Wednesday, Jan. 17. All classes are cancelled for Jan. 16 and classes are cancelled through noon on Jan. 17. Please check www.pnw.edu for updates. This closing affects only the Westville Campus. The PNW Hammond Campus will be open on Tuesday, Jan. 16, and Wednesday, Jan. 17, for normal operations and all classes will be held. Monday, Jan. 15, is a university holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. No classes are scheduled at

The University of Notre Dame is celebrating the opening of the new Duncan Student Center tomorrow. The nine-story facility, which is part of the $400 million Campus Crossroads project at Notre Dame Stadium, includes student dining options, recreational sports facilities and a 500-seat student ballroom.

On Friday, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office filed two additional charges against Jon Hanley, 53, in connection with the December 30, 2017, shooting of a dog named Major in Lakeville, IN. After consulting the veterinarians who treated Major, the Prosecutor’s Office filed additional charges of Attempted Killing of a Domestic Animal, a Level 6 Felony, and Criminal Mischief, a Class A Misdemeanor, against Hanley. The Prosecutor’s Office previously charged Jon Hanley in this same shooting with Criminal Recklessness, a Level 5 Felony, for discharging a firearm that created a substantial risk of bodily injury to Viola Woods. His next

A crash on Friday morning between a semi and a passenger car has claimed the life of a man.  The crash happened near the 50 mile marker in the westbound lanes of the Indiana Toll Road.  This is about one mile east of the LaPorte exit. Preliminary investigation shows that a 2013 Hyundai driven by 36 year old Haifeng Yang, of South Bend, was traveling west when Yang lost control of the vehicle.  A 2015 Freightliner, was also traveling westbound and could not avoid colliding with the Hyundai.  The Freightliner hit the Hyundai in the right side, sending it into

South Shore Line service updates will be in effect to accommodate passengers wishing to attend the Chicago Boat, RV & Sail Show, to be held through Jan. 14, 2018, at McCormick Place. The following weekday trains will make flag stops at the McCormick Place Station through Jan. 12: Westbound: Trains 14, 216, 116, 218, 18, 118, 220, 20 Eastbound: Trains 109, 209, 17, 119, 19, 121, 123 All weekend trains except Train 601 utilize McCormick Place as a flag stop. Passengers departing from McCormick Place must remain visible on the platform to be seen by train personnel.

On January 12th, 2018 at approximately 10:17am Michigan City Police officers were dispatched to the 1900 block of Springland Ave. This was in reference to a personal injury automobile accident with entrapment.  Upon their arrival officers located a heavily damaged vehicle resting on its roof along the south shoulder of the roadway.   Although several bystanders attempted to gain entry into the damaged vehicle to assist the female occupant, the vehicle was so severely damaged that entry could not be made until members of the Michigan City Fire Department arrived with extrication equipment.   The female occupant was then freed from the

The Porter County Sheriff’s Office is reminding everyone living in the unincorporated areas of Porter County about the County Ordinance, ‘Parking after Snowfall.’ The ordinance in summary means if there is expected to be 2+ inches of snowfall, vehicles must be moved from the roadway. Failure to move your vehicle, could result in your vehicle being towed at your expense and a County Ordinance citation with fines up to $50.00. This is very important, as it speeds up County Highway’s ability to clear the roadways safely as well as widen the roadway for emergency vehicles to have access to your

The Greater Portage Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 2nd Annual Fish On-Portage’s Fishing & Outdoor Show, a fishing and outdoor show in Northwest Indiana. Back for a second year the event will be held on Saturday, February 24th 9a-4p and Sunday, February 25th 9a-3p at the Portage High School Fieldhouse. For more information, visit the Greater Portage Chamber website at: www.portageinchamber.com .

The Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) voted to advance proposed changes to the state’s school accountability rule to a public comment period beginning now and ending in April. Public comment can be submitted sboe_comment@sboe.in.gov and will be discussed in future public meetings. Working with the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), the SBOE will consider public comment and make any necessary changes to the proposed bill before conducting a final vote to approve a final rule. If approved, Indiana’s new school accountability rule would go into effect next school year (2018-2019).

Barker Mansion will host a multi-media presentation titled War: Michigan City and Beyond which covers The Great War conflict at home and abroad, as well as Catherine Barker's impact on allied troops, including a donation of ambulances to the war effort. Additionally, this Friday marks the Grand Opening of a traveling exhibit on display in the mansion's lower level. The exhibit, brought to the mansion through the Indiana Historical Society, is titled The Great War: From Ration Lines to the Front Lines. With The Great War, visitors will see how Hoosiers experienced the first World War in distinct ways.Specially-themed Great

Walmart is closing 63 Sam's Club stores across the US. Several stores were abruptly closed on Thursday. In some cases, employees were not informed of the closures prior to showing up to work on Thursday. Instead, they learned that their store would be closing when they found the store's doors locked and a notice announcing the closure, according to reports. Ten of the affected stores will be turned into ecommerce distribution centers, and employees of those stores will have the opportunity to reapply for positions at those locations, a Walmart official said. The remaining stores will stay open for several

Weather reports for the next several days are predicting the potential for a variety of weather conditions across the state, including freezing rain, snow and ice. State authorities are advising Hoosiers to keep a close eye on weather and road conditions, and make some basic preparations. Hoosiers are encouraged to stay aware of current weather conditions by monitoring dependable weather sources like the National Weather Service at https://www.weather.gov. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for our area until noon Friday.