News

(Porter County, IN) – In celebration of the American Cancer Society’s 48th Great American Smokeout on Nov. 21st, Hoosiers across Indiana are encouraged to “make the commitment and quit smoking today”. “With the holidays just around the corner, it’s a great time for people to give the ‘gift’ of a better life to themselves and to their family and friends by quitting. With fewer places to smoke in Indiana, now is the perfect time to quit,” said Carrie Higgins, Program Director of The Tobacco Education and Prevention Coalition for Porter County. Tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of

Michigan City, IN – In order to meet a growing demand for high-quality early learning experiences in the Michigan City community, Michigan City Area Schools’ Little Wolves Early Learning Center has announced that it will now serve students who are age 3 at the time of enrollment. “We are so excited to add 3-year-olds to our program,” said Holly Martinez, Little Wolves Director. “Providing children with high-quality PreK at a young age is a way that parents can ensure their future kindergarteners are prepared and on track for greatness.” Research shows that children who experience high-quality PreK are more likely

Franciscan Health Michigan City is presenting a free suicide prevention course in December aimed at saving lives. 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 Prevention, suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, with one suicide taking place every 11 minutes. According to the QPR Institute, just as people trained in CPR and the

Press Release, Indiana Department of Education: A new student learning opportunity designed to increase access to high-quality summer programming for more Hoosier students is showing a return on investment. Data show that after just five weeks of intentional, high-quality instruction during the summer, students who attended the Summer Learning Labs in 2024 achieved double-digit percentage point proficiency gains in both reading and math. “In Indiana, we are laser-focused on finding innovative ways to maximize our support for students and doubling down on those solutions that yield the greatest return on investment,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “The

Press Release, The Pax Center: La Porte, IN—The Pax Center is thrilled to announce a generous $20,000 grant awarded by the Health Foundation of La Porte. This funding will not only help sustain the continued distribution of fresh produce at the Pax Center’s Food Pantry in the upcoming year but also inspire hope in the community. This support is critical in advancing our mission to keep La Porte County well-fed and well-loved, ensuring that fresh, nutritious food remains accessible to those in need. Access to fresh produce has a profound impact on health and well-being. According to the Centers for

No one was injured after a structure fire Monday night in Westville. At 11:39 p.m., the LaPorte County E911 Center dispatched emergency services to a residence in New Durham Estates - West for an active residential structure fire. Deputy Marshal Albanese was on scene within 3 minutes of the initial dispatch, finding that the only resident was outside of the house and began efforts to evacuate the residents from a neighboring residence with assistance from other responding agencies. There were no injuries resulting from the fire, but the structure was a complete loss. Crews from Westville Vol. Fire Department and

The Rotary Club of Michigan City will honor six individuals from the community with the annual Service Above Self Award on Thursday, November 14. This year’s recipients include: Corporal Mark Galetti, MCPD Police Officer of the Year; Cadet Corporal Mercedes White, JROTC Cadet of the Year; Sergeant Braxton Bradbury, Correctional Officer of the Year; Tyler Kreighbaum, MCFD Firefighter of the Year; Daisy Lee, MCAS Teacher of the Year; and Dexter Watkins, La Porte County EMT/Paramedic of the Year. Awards will be presented during an event that is open to the public at The Salvation Army of Michigan City, 1201 S.

The Indiana Department of Transportation will host seven public information meetings as it continues its Planning and Environment Linkage (PEL) studies along the US 30 and US 31 corridors in northern Indiana. The purpose of the meetings is to share potential improvement packages at primary and secondary intersections, which are detailed in each study’s Draft Level 3 Screening Report. Draft reports are now available for viewing on the ProPEL US 30 and ProPEL US 31 study websites. The studies span 180 miles across 12 counties and include US 30 from Valparaiso to the Indiana/Ohio state line (excluding I-69 and I-469

Michigan City High School (MCHS) honored veterans with a ceremony held at MCHS, conducted by the school band, choir and Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC). The guest speaker was State Senator Rodney Pol. The ceremony was a modified military parade, to include the march on of troops, a demonstration of armed exhibition drill modeled after the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, and Pass In Review by the MCHS Color Guard and Drill team. The band, under the direction of Mr. Frank Gast, performed military music, including the Armed Forces Medley. Ms. Michelle Howisen, the Choir Director,

Press Release, Salvation Army of Michigan City: The Salvation Army of Michigan City will host its annual Thanksgiving Community Meal on Thursday, November 28 from 11:30am to 1:00pm. Majors Dale and Becky Simmons, who oversee the local Salvation Army, remind the public that this meal is free and open to anyone in the community that needs a place to spend Thanksgiving Day. “To us, Thanksgiving is about people being together,” Major Becky Simmons said. “We serve this meal so that everyone has an opportunity to enjoy a delicious meal with turkey, ham, and all the sides. But the most important

Press Release, Michigan City High School MCJROTC: The United States Marine Corps turned 249 on November 10th. Its motto is “Semper Fidelis”- Always Faithful. The heart of the Marine Corps’ success is that it has undertaken every mission based on its core values of honor, courage and commitment. Those values are also the driving force behind the Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC). The cadets honored the Marine Corps with a ceremony on November 8th at the St. Joseph’s Men’s Club in Michigan City. It was the same ceremony that Marines world-wide conduct

A head-on crash sent 3 people to the hospital on Saturday evening in New Buffalo Township. Just after 8 p.m. police and first responders were dispatched to U.S. 12 near Grand Beach Road. Upon arrival they located two vehicles with extensive damage. The driver of a Chevy Malibu, a 27 year old male from Hammond, was found pinned inside his vehicle and was extricated using the Jaws of Life and taken to Memorial Hospital in So Bend to be treated for multiple broken bones and lower extremity injuries. His passenger, a 26 year old female also from Hammond, was not

Tuesday, November 12, 2024 – Starke County 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. CT *While supplies last. Knox United Methodist Church, 201 S. Shield St., Knox, IN 46534 *250 turkeys will be distributed.   Tuesday, November 12, 2024 – Marshall County 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET *While supplies last. Trinity Lutheran Church, 430 Academy Rd., Culver, IN 46511 *250 turkeys will be distributed.   Wednesday, November 13, 2024 – LaPorte County 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. CT *While supplies last. Michigan City H.O.P.E. Community Center, 222 McClelland Ave., Michigan City, IN 46360 *200 turkeys will be distributed.   Wednesday, November

Join the Indiana Dunes National Park's Resource Management team on Friday, Nov. 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (with a break for lunch) as we clear brush along the Great Marsh Trail. Grab your loppers and brush cutters for a day of outdoor adventure and teamwork. We’ll provide training and protective gear, so you can tackle the job safely. Volunteers wishing to assist are required to be wearing steel toe boots (limited pairs available on first come first serve basis). The Park Service reminds the public to not forget your water, sunscreen, bug spray, long sleeve shirt and weather

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) will host a public information meeting on Thursday, November 21, 2024 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm CST with a formal presentation at 6:00pm CST, at the City Hall of Michigan City at 100 E. Michigan Boulevard, Michigan City, Indiana 46360. The purpose of the public information meeting is to offer all interested persons an opportunity to receive information on the engineering plans to rehabilitate the pavement, to re-configure travelways, to replace deteriorated drainage structures, and to incorporate ADA-compliant curb ramp improvements along US 12 in LaPorte County. The project is located on US 12 from

The Town of Chesterton shared the following information about composting food waste drop off continuing this winter: “The Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County (RWRD) is reporting that its pilot food waste program during the Valparaiso Market’s run this season at Central Park Plaza was a huge success, with more than 2,500 pounds of food waste diverted from landfills since June. RWRD has accordingly decided to continue the program into the winter season. From 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays, drop off your buckets of food waste along Indiana Ave. near Central Park Plaza, at the same spot used

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - An Indiana Department of Transportation contractor will have overnight rolling lane closures on I-65 between mile marker 252 and 261 (south of U.S. 30 to 15th Ave) beginning on or after Monday, Nov. 11. Crews will be performing pothole patching work during the overnight hours of 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for approximately two weeks. Motorists should note that I-65 is currently reduced to two lanes in each direction between I-94 and 61st Avenue for concrete patching so this area will be further restricted for this work. Drivers should watch out for slow moving maintenance vehicles

Marquette Catholic High School is proud to have continued its partnership with Franciscan Health Foundation this past October in raising money for breast cancer patients in and around LaPorte County. This year, Marquette's National Honor Society chapter and volleyball program generated $1,026, 100% of which will go directly to local cases in the form of items such as blankets, groceries, and transportation assistance. Franciscan Breast Cancer Nurse Navigator Amy Johnson and Director of Development Deb Tatum were on hand to accept the check from representatives from both school organizations. Marquette paired a National Honor Society-sponsored Dress Down Day with its

In La Porte, construction on State Road 4/Monroe Street between State Road 2/Lincolnway and Boyd Boulevard has moved to the milling through approximately Tuesday and resurfacing from Tuesday until the project is complete. Expect delays in the area and flaggers directing traffic. Crossroads will remain open but could experience extra delays while waiting for crews to move through the intersection. Motorists may want to seek alternate routes while this work is underway.

News Release, Indiana DNR: Registration is open for the return of the Happy Little (Virtual) 5K, which the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation (INRF) welcome back for the third year in 2025. In 2024, the virtual run raised more than $18,000 for tree plantings and healthy forest initiatives in Indiana State Parks, with more than 1,000 people participating. The event is open to everyone, and registrants can complete their 5K anywhere outdoors – on foot, by bike, skate or paddle, or using a mobility device – anytime between April 19-27, 2025, to encompass