News

The Valparaiso Police Department announced the recent graduation of Captain Melanie Sheets, Detective Sergeant Chris Allison, and Patrol Lieutenant Jerame Simpson from the School of Police Staff and Command (SPSC) at Northwestern University. The officers have successfully completed the (22) week Staff and Command program. This program, which was implemented by the Center for Public Safety in 1983, has graduated over 21,000 students both nationally and internationally. Captain Sheets and Detective Sergeant Allison were students in SPSC Class #564, while Lieutenant Simpson was a student in SPSC Class #572. The School of Police Staff and Command provides upper-level college instruction

Global Engineering and Land Surveying is notifying the public that there will be several roadways under construction during the next four months. They estimate each section of roadway taking no more than 2 weeks. See the full statement including the construction schedule below for more details.

Join Team WIMS live this Saturday for Tour de La Porte. Tour de La Porte —taking place Friday, August 23 through Sunday, August 25 — is a walking, running, and cycling event that raises money to support the mission of the La Porte County Family YMCA. Every year, the YMCA helps thousands of people lead a happier, healthier lifestyle through programs that promote healthy living, youth development, and social responsibility. With your help, we can make La Porte County a better place to call home! For more information check out www.tourdelaporte.org and www.lpymca.org. Thank you to our sponsors: La Porte

Last week Starke County Deputy McKee with his K9 partner Robby, Deputy Hudgens with his K9 parter Mack, and Pulaski Deputy Leszek with his K9 partner Tiko all participated in the K9 Olympics at Vohne Liche Kennels. During this week long training seminar & competition, participants compete in various events such as narrcotics, tracking, obedience, and apprehension. For the 2nd year in a row, K9 Robby won the Hardest Hitting Dog. WIMS congratulates all of the officers involved.  

Chesterton High School announced that on Friday, Aug. 23, it will become the first school in Porter County to receive the Heart Safe School Designation from Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory), the Town of Chesterton is reporting. Project ADAM is a nationally recognized program dedicated to preventing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in schools. Named in honor of Adam Lemel, a high school student who tragically lost his life to SCA, the initiative focuses on raising awareness, training staff, and providing schools with the necessary tools to respond effectively to cardiac emergencies. One of the requirements of the designation

Press release, Michigan City Special Events: The City of Michigan City and Michigan City Special Events is proud to announce the return of Michigan City’s most requested event, Oktoberfest. The four-day festival, being held in Washington Park over Labor Day weekend, August 30 through September 2, will feature over 50 music and entertainment groups, as well as local and regional food, art, craft and merchandise vendors. "Since its return in 2022, Oktoberfest has doubled in size, and this year is set to be the biggest yet,” said Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch. “In addition to 51 bands, 60 art, craft and

Franciscan Health is hosting two events on Sept. 12 aimed at helping increase awareness of and helping prevent suicides. Franciscan Health Olympia Fields is hosting a free suicide prevention course from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Central on Thursday, Sept. 12 in GME 2 at 20201 S. Crawford Ave. in Olympia Fields. The entry level Question, Persuade and Refer or QPR Suicide Prevention Course, is based on curriculum developed by the QPR Institute. The course aims to save lives and reduce suicidal behaviors by providing innovative, practical and proven suicide prevention training. According to the Centers for Disease Control and

The following is a statement from the City of New Buffalo, Michigan: Berrien County is switching its emergency alert system from the old siren warning system to a new phone style warning system. These alerts range from weather events to chemical spills/nuclear accidents. When there is an emergency, your phone will be where to look. “IPAWS [FEMA Integrated Public Alert and Warning System] will be our all-hazards warning system,” said Kevin Simpson, Emergency Preparedness Manager at D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant. “It could be for a tornado, or a nuclear event like we could have here at Cook.” The Berrien County

The La Porte Police Department Detective Bureau is seeking assistance from the public in reference to Monday’s stabbing incident that resulted in the death of one adult male, and the arrest of one male suspect. Police say If you reside in the area between the 100 block of Greenwood and 200 block of Lawndale, and may have video of a red SUV in your neighborhood between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on Monday August 19, or any other information that may be related to this incident, please contact Detective Cpl. Ashley Adams at aadams@lpcitypd.com, or (219) 362-9446 x2007.  

The La Porte County Health Department (LPCHD) has received confirmation from the Indiana State Department of Health that a pool of mosquitoes submitted for testing has tested positive for West Nile Virus.  This is the first positive identification of West Nile Virus in La Porte County this year. The sample was collected on 7-24-24. The species most likely to transmit the virus are those that prefer to breed in containers therefore it is important to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes that may potentially carry viruses.  Avoid leaving standing water in yards and around homes.  Clean birdbaths and wading pools weekly,

Press release, Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department: As Duneland schools and other area schools started their first week of school last week, motorists are being reminded to heed an extra bit of caution when driving, especially during early morning pickup and afternoon drop off. Public Safety Officials around the county want to ensure a safe and accident-free school year. According to Kristin Poland, deputy director of the National Transportation Safety Board Office of Highway Safety, “School buses are the safest form of transportation to get to and from school.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2022 alone, “42,795

News release, Purdue University Northwest:  HAMMOND and WESTVILLE, Ind. – The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest is bringing back the popular Innovators Café Series on Sept. 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at ArcelorMittal Global Research and Development, 3001 E. Columbus Drive, East Chicago, IN, 46312. Innovators Café is a luncheon series held on location to familiarize the region's business and community leaders with the significant and diverse innovation found in the workplace. The aim is to share best practices in a leader-to-leader format that encourages innovation and provides insights into how real problems are being solved. At

LAPORTE COUNTY, Indiana – Franciscan Health is hosting two free LaPorte County car seat safety events in September. The first event will take place from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Central on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at the LaPorte County Family Resource Center, 1232 W. State Road 2 in La Porte. The second event will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Central on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Franciscan Health Michigan City Legacy Campus, 301 W. Homer St. in Michigan City. A certified technician will work with participants to teach them how to properly install a car seat. The

Taking the next step forward in its electric generation transition to a more diverse, balanced and reliable portfolio, Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC (NIPSCO) – a subsidiary of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI), Monday announced the completion of another solar project in its electric generation fleet. Cavalry Solar is now online and operating, producing more cost-effective, cleaner energy for homes and businesses. “The completion of Cavalry Solar, the third solar project in NIPSCO’s generating mix, is a crucial step in advancing our energy generation transition plan to provide sustainable, cost-effective and reliable energy now and into the future,” said Vince

A fatal stabbing suspect was arrested following a police pursuit, according to La Porte Police. On Monday morning officers were dispatched to the 200 block of Lawndale Avenue in reference to a stabbing. Officers discovered a male victim who was transported to the hospital. The victim was pronounced dead shortly after arriving to the hospital, according to the police. A short time later police located the suspect in La Porte County and led officers from multiple agencies on a pursuit that ended in St. Joseph County. The suspect was taken into custody and is in the La Porte County Jail

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – The Michigan City Neighborhood Leadership Academy is re-launching after being put on hold during the pandemic. The program is a partnership between the City of Michigan City and the Economic Development Corporation Michigan City. It is aimed at individuals who are interested in taking on a leadership role within their own neighborhoods and bringing neighbors together to spark change. Participants will learn more about the city, its departments, processes and resources to cultivate their neighborhood’s identity and future path. Applications are now being accepted for Michigan City residents ages 18 and over who reside within the

An arrest has been made in connection to a double homicide that occurred last week in Michigan City. On August 15, at around 5:36 a.m., the LaPorte County Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 call indicating a person had been shot in the 2300 block of Normandy Drive. Uniform Patrol Shift III Officer Rachel Ewart and Cpl. Deshone Harris responded to the scene. Upon arrival, 22 year old Kiara Hootman and 35 year old Travis Pennington were found deceased inside a vehicle in the parking lot. Both had gunshot wounds. The Investigative Division was summoned to the scene. The entire

The Michigan City Refuse Department will be altering the waste pickup schedule for the week of September 1-6, 2024, to accommodate the Labor Day holiday. The schedule is as follows: There will be no waste pickup on Monday, September 2 (Labor Day). On Tuesday, September 3, waste normally collected on Monday will be picked up. From Wednesday, September 4 through Friday, September 6, residents should place their waste out on their regular collection day but be aware that pickup may be delayed by a couple of days. Waste should remain curbside until it is collected. Additionally, compost pickup will be

The Michigan City Football Hall of Fame, along with the Michigan City High School Football team is putting on the 1st Annual "Finish on the 50". 5K Walk/Run on Saturday, September 14, 2024. The race will start at Ames Field at 8:00 am, the race course will go through the streets of Michigan City. You will return to Ames Field to experience a football-themed obstacle course for each participant, with the completion of the race on the 50-yard line. The race fee is $25 per participant until September 1, after September 1 the fee for the race will increase to

U.S. 20 will close between Beam St and Lawson Ln for approximately 1 day starting on or after Monday, August 26. This closure will start in the early morning hours (3am or earlier) and last into the evening (approx 7 p.m.). INDOT crews will be working at the Beam St bridge with the goal of increasing the height clearance of the bridge. Drivers are encouraged to use State Road 49 and I-94 as the detour. Schedule is weather dependent and subject to change.