Local News

Financial aid professionals will be volunteering at 40 sites in Indiana to help college-bound students and their families open the door to financial aid during College Goal Sunday. The event is set for 2 p.m. (local time), February 25, 2018. The free program assists Indiana students in filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA form is required for students to be considered for federal and state grants, scholarships and student loans at most colleges, universities and vocational/technical schools nationwide. The FAFSA MUST be filed by April 15 to be eligible for Indiana financial aid. College Goal

On Friday February 16th, 2018 at approximately 4:30 pm, The LaPorte County Drug Task Force, and The Michigan City SWAT Team executed a search warrant at 410 York Street.  The La Porte County Drug Task Force began an investigation, after citizen complaints, and after investigators conducted surveillance, and observed a high amount of foot traffic at this residence. Lt. Tim Richardson, and Detective Kyle Shiparski, lead detectives in this investigation, presented evidence to La Porte County Superior Court #1, where probable cause was found to arrest Raphael D. PERRY (42) of Gary, Indiana for Dealing in Cocaine a Level 3

You can help animal species such as bald eagles, peregrine falcons, barn owls, box turtles, black bears and more by donating to the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund as you do your taxes. The Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund supports the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Wildlife Diversity program. Program staff manages more than 750 nongame and endangered wildlife species. Nongame means the species is not hunted, trapped or fished. You can donate all or a portion of your state tax refund to the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund. If you file with paper forms, look for the eagle logo on Schedule

During Red Cross Month in March, the American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to join in its lifesaving mission by giving blood. Since 1943, every U.S. president has designated March as Red Cross Month to recognize how the Red Cross helps people across the country and around the world. Red Cross Month is a celebration of supporters, who are the face of the Red Cross in their communities and bring hope to people facing emergencies. The Red Cross depends on blood donor heroes across the nation to collect enough blood to meet the needs of patients at approximately 2,600 hospitals

The Indiana State Police is accepting applications for two Regional Dispatcher positions at the Toll Road Post to staff the Regional Dispatch Center that operates out of that facility located at 52422 CR 17. This dispatch center covers the length of the Toll Road as well as the Bremen District. The Bremen District covers Elkhart, St. Joseph, Marshall, and Kosciusko counties. Pay starts at $30,082 per year. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement plans and accrued time off. The deadline for applications is Friday February 23, 2018. For more information on the position and to apply, go to https://www.in.gov/spd/careers (Job

Governor Eric Holcomb will present Vietnam veteran and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. 1st Class Sammy L. Davis of Freedom, Indiana with the 2018 Sachem Award, the state's highest honor, at a ceremony Monday, March 12, 2018. The Sachem is given annually to recognize a lifetime of excellence and moral virtue that has brought credit and honor to Indiana. In addition to his Medal of Honor, Davis has been awarded a Silver Star, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

An evening of rock music is slated for Saturday, March 17th at the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Shirley Heinze Land Trust, a local non-profit organization which works to protect and restore ecologically significant natural areas in northwestern Indiana. Heartache Tonight is known for delivering an Eagles concert experience that includes everything from the notable guitar duel in "Hotel California" to the harmonies of "Peaceful Easy Feeling. All instruments and vocals are live, with a set list that covers songs from all eras and incarnations of the Eagles, including "Seven Bridges Road," "Life In

The Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps’ (MCJROTC) military drill team has been selected to compete in the MCJROTC National Drill Meet on April 21, 2018, at Daniel Boone High School in Gray, Tennessee.  The Wolves are one of 15 schools from across the country who will compete in five different military drill events to determine the best MCJROTC Drill Team in the United States.  There are 250 MCJROTC schools distributed across just about every state in the union. The trip will be conducted at no cost to Michigan City Area Schools or the

Indiana University Northwest is hosting the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) Conference Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament on February 23-25. The games will take place in the Savannah Center Gymnasium, on the north end of the IU Northwest campus, located at 3400 Broadway in Gary, Ind., conveniently accessible from I-80/94. Five teams from across the nation will join the IU Northwest women for the three-day tournament. The two teams advancing to Sunday’s championship game will receive direct qualifying bids to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Championship Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa from March 7 to 13. IU Northwest

The deadline for application to the 78th Indiana State Police Recruit Academy, 11:59 p.m., February 25th, 2018 is quickly approaching. Individuals who are interested in beginning a rewarding career as an Indiana State Trooper must apply online at https://www.in.gov/isp/2368.htm.  This website will provide a detailed synopsis of the application process as well as information on additional career opportunities with the Indiana State Police. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted for the 78th Recruit Academy. Currently, the ISP Human Resources Division Employment Services Team has received over 1,000 incomplete applications. Applicants are encouraged to check their E-mail, specifically

At its February Executive Board meeting, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) proudly presented the Norman E. Tufford Award to Barbara Waxman. Norman Tufford served as the first Executive Director of NIRPC from 1966 to 1985. The award named in his honor recognizes former Commissioners and NIRPC staff who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and service to the region. "In addition to recognizing Barbara's tremendous contributions to the region," said NIRPC Executive Director Ty Warner, "it is especially appropriate, following the celebration of NIRPC's 50th anniversary, to give this award to someone who knew and worked with Norm Tufford, NIRPC's first

Halfway through the 2018 legislative session, House Republican efforts to reduce human trafficking are progressing. State Reps. Sally Siegrist (R-West Lafayette) and Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville) discussed their proposed legislation and the importance of taking action to fight this issue and protect victims. State Rep. Sharon Negele (R-Attica) also discussed her proposal that would expand Silver Alerts to include missing children with disabilities.   Tune in for our Local News broadcasts at the bottom of every hour on WIMS for more information.

For many families, the New Year brings hope of long awaited tax refunds. People may make plans to pay off debts or make significant purchases. Unfortunately, tax identity thieves may also be making plans to use those hard-earned dollars. Tax identify thieves use other people’s Social Security Numbers (SSN) to file taxes and/or even obtain jobs. Most victims initially will not even be aware that this has happened. Some will be notified upon e-filing that a tax return has already been filed using their SSN. If you believe you have been the victim of tax-related or any other type of

On Friday night, the South Bend Police Department (SBPD) received a report of gunshots fired in the area of Gladstone and Silver Lane. Officers were dispatched to the area and found one male victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to an area hospital and was initially listed in critical condition. The victim passed away and has been identified as 17 year old Daekwon L. Tobar and his family has been notified. Several witnesses have been interviewed at the County Metro Homicide Unit. No arrests have been made and an autopsy is expected to be scheduled for

The legacy of the late Allan “Al” Whitlow continues on through the announcement of the Al Whitlow Experience (AWE) mentoring program at Boys & Girls Club of Michigan City. Whitlow, who unexpectedly passed away on November 19, 2017, served as the executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Michigan City for 13 years from 2001 to 2014. His long list of achievements that impacted the people and the programs of Michigan City also include service as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and assistant superintendent for Michigan City Area Schools. He had coached the area’s youth, and he had

U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) will announce a new initiative this week focused on ensuring every Hoosier has an opportunity to succeed. The initiative will kick off with several roundtable discussions throughout the state. The first event will take place on Tuesday, February 20, in Indianapolis and will feature a discussion with speakers representing Indianapolis non-profits, law enforcement, health, education, veteran and affordable housing organizations, and other community groups. Additional events will take place in Hammond on Wednesday, February 21, and Fort Wayne on Thursday, February 22. More specific details will be announced the day before each event.

Our country's need for blood is one that has been well-documented. The statistics pose a grim reality. In the United States, a little over 36,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day. Someone in America requires blood nearly every two seconds. The needs of car accident victims care not about a drastic shortage - one victim may require up to 100 pints of blood. Marquette's National Honors Society is doing its part to answer the call. Next Thursday, they'll be sponsoring a blood drive in the business lab of the Scholl Center. While those with Type O blood are

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)