Local News

The Portage Police Department Monday announced that Officer Anthony Ortiz, a five-year veteran of the Portage Police Department, has been selected to serve as their newest school resource officer. Officer Ortiz will be assigned to Willowcreek Middle School starting this week. “We are very grateful for our continued partnership with Portage Township Schools and believe Officer Ortiz will make an excellent addition to the SRO program,” the Portage Police Department stated on their Facebook page.

Multiple Beach Hazards Statements are in effect for Lake Michigan. For the counties of Northern La Porte, Northern Berrien, Southern Berrien: ...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM EDT /1 AM CDT/ TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING... * WHAT...High wave action, strong currents, and dangerous swimming conditions expected. Piers will be heavily swamped by waves. Waves 4 to 7 feet. * WHERE...In Indiana, Northern La Porte county. In Michigan, Northern Berrien and Southern Berrien counties. * WHEN...From 2 AM EDT /1 AM CDT/ Tuesday through Tuesday evening. * IMPACTS...Strong currents can pull swimmers into deeper water and high waves

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - An Indiana Department of Transportation contractor  will close the ramp from northbound I-65 to westbound I-94 for approximately three weeks starting on or after Tuesday, September 5. The ramp will be closed for joint repairs/rehab and extensive concrete restoration work, with approximately 4,400 square yards of pavement being full-depth patched. A full closure of the ramp was determined to be the safest and most efficient option to complete this work. INDOT says that due to the high volume of traffic that usually utilizes this ramp, motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and find alternate routes. The

The Starke County Sheriff's Office stated on their Facebook page that the 'Riding with the Sheriff program is unable to launch at this time. The department stated the following: "Reference our last post for Riding with the Sheriff, we are unfortunately unable to launch that type of program at this time. Sheriff Rosa has a vested interest in our youth. We believe it is imperative to develop relationships with our community. For those that emailed interest in the program, we will contact you in the coming weeks and see if you are interested in our officers coming out to speak

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. - Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Rieth Riley Construction will have alternating shoulder and lane closures on the U.S. 31/20 Bypass between Brick Rd and State Road 2 starting on or after Monday, August 21. Improvements will be made at the bypass interchanges at Brick/Cleveland Rd, Nimtz Parkway, Lincolnway west, and State Road 2. Work will include signing, striping, ramp and auxiliary lane improvements and will be ongoing through mid-November. Motorists should be prepared for changing traffic patterns and possible delays during peak times. INDOT encourages drivers to allow extra time when driving through this area

CASS COUNTY, MICH. Michigan State Police (MSP) Niles Post troopers were dispatched to M-51 Hwy near Maple Ln, Howard Twp, for an iPhone crash alert around 2:00 a.m. Upon arrival, evidence of a motorcycle crash was discovered and after a brief search the motorcycle and its lone rider were located.   Preliminary investigation revealed that the rider of a motorcycle was traveling northbound on M-51 towards Dowagiac when he veered off the roadway, lost control, and hit an embankment. It appears that the motorcyclist was then thrown from the motorcycle upon impact. The motorcyclist succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced

The Town of Chesterton is reporting that a 70-year-old Anderson, Ind., man has been charged with three felonies in connection with a shooting in Washington Township, outside the Pilot Travel Center at 4105 E. U.S. Highway 30, on Tuesday, Aug. 8. According to a Facebook post by the Town of Chesterton, the man was charged with intimidation, a Level 5 felony punishable by a term of one to six years; criminal recklessness, a Level 6 felony punishable by a term of six to 30 months; and pointing a firearm, also a Level 6 felony. “According to the probable cause affidavit

The Indiana Department of Health detected a pool of mosquitoes that tested positive for West Nile Virus in Porter County from samples collected in early August. The Porter County Health Department says residents should take precautions when going outside. Taking precautions such as: practicing bite prevention using an EPA- registered insect repellant, wearing long sleeves, eliminating standing water around the home, and avoid going outside during peak feeding at dusk and dawn. Container as small as a bottle cap can become a mosquito breeding site, so residents should take the following steps: Discard old tires, tin cans, ceramic pots or

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration today announced that software used by a contractor experienced a security breach that exposed certain personal information of Indiana Medicaid members. The names, addresses, case numbers and Medicaid numbers of more than 744,000 members of Indiana Medicaid were exposed in the breach, which occurred in the MOVIEit application used by Maximus Health Services. Social Security numbers of four additional Medicaid members were impacted. The MOVEit application breach affected companies and organizations worldwide and occurred in late May. Maximus alerted FSSA of the breach. The people affected in Indiana are members of

The City of Valparaiso has reached the mid-way point in its seasonal paving for streets and sidewalks, according to the City’s Engineering Department. “We’re pleased with the progress we’ve made, in arterial areas as well as in neighborhoods,” said Max Rehlander, Engineering Director. The City will pave approximately 7.8 lane miles of roadway this season and replace approximately 2.8 miles of sidewalk. The 2023 infrastructure improvement plan includes highly visible roadways, such as Vale Park Road (paved from Calumet Avenue east to Sturdy Road), portions of Yellowstone Road, and Franklin Street, which also included significant underground work in separating storm

The City of Portage announced on social media that Portage Avenue between Crisman Road and McCool Road is closed to through traffic for curb installation. The City of Portage said in another post “Starting Friday, August 11 and continuing for the next three weeks (weather permitting), Portage Avenue will be closed to through traffic for road reconstruction. Detour routes will be marked. One-way traffic (west bound only) will be provided for residents living off Portage Avenue to access their homes. Please plan accordingly and thank you for your patience.”

Press release from Indiana Department of Education: The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) today announced the expansion of Indiana Learns, a statewide grant program providing qualifying parents and families with $1,000 to spend on math and English/language arts high-dosage tutoring and approved out-of-school academic programs for their students. To date, more than 10,000 students are enrolled in Indiana Learns. “We know from our 2023 ILEARN proficiency results, and the ongoing academic impact/recovery analysis, that our middle school students in particular need strategic learning support and interventions,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “This newly released data was the

Staff members in Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) office of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs distributed backpacks and other school supplies in early August to families in need. PNW hosted two “Roaring Back to School” community backpack giveaways at its campuses for area families. Approximately 1,300 people benefitted from the events by receiving backpacks, notebooks, folders, writing utensils and more. Beyond providing high-quality college education, PNW strives to serve its neighboring communities through various outreach initiatives. As a metropolitan university, PNW employees seek ways to make an impact, deliver positive outcomes and support Northwest Indiana.

The Michigan City Police Department announced the passing of retired officer, Edward Wojasinski. MCPD stated the following on their Facebook page: It is with great sadness that we recognize the recent passing of Edward Wojasinski. Ed began his law enforcement career at the Michigan City Police Department on March 3rd, 1969 and retired after 36 years of service in 2005. We want to thank the Wojasinski family for Ed's dedicated service to the Michigan City Police Department and for serving our community. We would also like to send our deepest condolences to the Wojasinski family during this difficult time. Rest

News release from Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Students at 44 Indiana K-12 schools will experience the outdoors this academic year thanks in part to a grant program that supports field trips to Indiana State Park properties. The Discover the Outdoors Field Trip Grant Program is available for all K-12 schools. It is administered through the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation (INRF), the supporting nonprofit of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The grants, up to $250 per school, fund transportation costs, program fees, and classroom supplies related to preparation or follow-up for the field trips. An estimated 3,432 students will

To accommodate passengers attending Chicago Bears home football games, the South Shore Line plans to stop select trains at Metra’s 18th Street Station, which connects passengers directly to the Soldier Field entrance via a pedestrian walkway. As 18th St. Station is not a regularly scheduled stop, SSL passengers utilizing 18th St. for these events should purchase tickets for Museum Campus/11th Street. Passengers are reminded that busing is ongoing to stations between Carroll Ave. and Gary Metro Center. In addition to their regular service to nearby Museum Campus/11th St., the following trains will also serve 18th St. Station for Bears games:

A motorcyclist is facing OWI charges after a crash according to the Porter Police Department. On Tuesday at about 8:24 p.m., Porter Police responded to a single vehicle motorcycle crash at Mineral Springs and Old Porter Road. At the scene, an officer located the motorcycle rider who was ambulatory and refused medical care. The rider had minor injuries and claimed he was struck by a vehicle in the intersection, however multiple witness statements refuted that claim. The rider was reportedly driving at a high rate of speed just before the crash and a witness stated the rider “spun out and

The Indiana Department of Transportation provided the following update on concrete restoration work on I-94 in Lake County: UPDATE: the new traffic configuration on eastbound I-94 will be set up this week but may be delayed one or two evenings due to weather. Motorists should be prepared for overnight lane closures and for EB traffic to be split with the work zone in the middle and two lanes on either side by the end of the week.   The original information has been posted below: OVERNIGHT LANE CLOSURES/NEW TRAFFIC CONFIGURATIONS - I-94 in Lake County Concrete restoration work will move

The New Buffalo Police Depart is reporting a water rescue took place Monday afternoon at Lake Michigan. At about 2 p.m. multiple 911 calls were received reporting as many as four swimmers in danger in Lake Michigan at New Buffalo Beach near the breakwall. When rescuers arrived the found two people still in the water and one that had made it to the breakwall but needed medical attention. Officers from the New Buffalo Police Department, Pokagon Tribal Police and New Buffalo City Fire were able to throw life rings to the individuals that were still in the water, pulling them

Michigan City Police Officer Daniel Revoir was recognized as an Indiana Traffic Safety All Star through a program put together by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. The Traffic Safety All-Star awards program was created by ICJI as a way to recognize law enforcement officers who are going above and beyond to keep road users and their communities safe by working to combat impaired driving.  To qualify for the award, an officer must have made at least 20 operating while intoxicated arrests and participated in one of the state’s enhanced enforcement campaigns in the previous year. “Officer Revoir exceeded the expectations