News

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

Michigan City Government has announced that City Hall and all other City of Michigan City offices will be closed to the public on Monday, Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day. However, trash/compost pick-up and bus transit will continue to run their normal routes.    

I-65 will have overnight lane closures south of State Road 2 during the hours of 8pm-6am for approximately one week beginning on or after the evening of Sunday, Nov. 10. These lane closures will be to restore traffic to its normal configuration for winter. Northbound will be shifted first and then southbound. As scheduled, work will resume in this area in spring 2025 to continue replacing three bridges between State Road 2 and State Road 10. Traffic configurations will flip from what was in place this construction season for crews to complete the bridges on the southbound side.

All veterans and active-duty military personnel, and everyone in their vehicle, will be admitted free to DNR-managed state parks, reservoir properties, state forest recreation areas, and off-road state recreation areas on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11. This includes admission to Falls of the Ohio State Park’s Interpretive Center. “We appreciate the sacrifices and service of our veterans and active-duty military and look forward to recognizing them with a day to explore some of the best outdoor places in our state,” said Terry Coleman, director of Indiana State Parks. Veterans and military personnel should simply let the gate attendant at the

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - An Indiana Department of Transportation contractor will close the ramps from westbound I-94 and eastbound and westbound I-90 (Indiana Toll Road) to northbound U.S. 6/State Road 51 on or after Monday, Nov. 11. The ramps will be closed for approximately five days for structure replacement. Motorists should seek alternate routes. This is pre-work ahead of the U.S. 6/State Road 51 bridge over I-94 being replaced. Work will conclude for the season in mid-November and then resume in spring 2025. This extensive bridge replacement project will be ongoing through 2026.

An Indiana man who owns Glycerin Traders marketed and sold an “Ethanol Extraction” product as a pure food-grade product, when in fact, the product contained high levels of methanol leading to multiple deaths and severe physical injuries for those who consumed the product. Dennis R. Zeedyk, 53 years old, of La Porte, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to mail fraud and tax fraud by a distiller, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Zeedyk was sentenced to 48 months in prison, 1 year of supervised release, and was ordered to

The Indiana Uplands READI steering committee and Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) announced the allocation of READI 2.0 funding to advance Indiana University’s microelectronics research and development capabilities, enabling the development of resilient microchips and supporting the growth of the microelectronics sector in the region and across Indiana. Governor Eric J. Holcomb established the now $1.25 billion READI program in 2021, and it has since been nationally recognized for its success. READI 2.0, which was part of the governor’s 2023 Next Level Agenda and approved by the Indiana General Assembly, allocates another $500 million to regions across the state to accelerate

Press Release, City of Valparaiso: Bob Thompson has been named Planning and Transit Director for the City of Valparaiso, announced Mayor Jon Costas. “We’re so pleased to have someone with Bob’s experience and talent already on staff at the City of Valparaiso. His institutional knowledge of planning as well as city and county government make him an excellent choice for this position and we’re delighted to promote from within,” said Costas. Serving as Deputy Engineer for the City of Valparaiso for the past year, Thompson has more than 33 years of experience with Porter County government, most recently as Director

LA PORTE COUNTY — Forty-two grants were awarded to 38 organizations serving La Porte County during Health Foundation of La Porte (HFL)’s second grant cycle of 2024. Each year, HFL accepts applications for funding that will positively impact the health and wellness of La Porte County residents and make a difference in one of the foundation’s priority areas of Healthy Children, Healthy Living, and Healthy Minds. The foundation also funds projects and programs that fall outside of HFL’s priorities but meet a health and wellness need in the community. Cycle 2 grant awards support projects and programs ranging from fresh

MICHIGAN CITY, November 7, 2024 – The Salvation Army of Michigan City is ready to kick off another Red Kettle season,with a Christmas Campaign theme of “Love Beyond Christmas.” The annual Red Kettle Kick Off will take place on Tuesday, November 12 at McDonald’s Restaurant, 3507 Franklin Street from 7am to 10am with a short program at 8am.The public is invited to stop by and join in the festivities marking the official start of the Red Kettle season. “We continue our theme of ‘Love Beyond’ this Christmas as we ask the Michigan City community to ‘love beyond’ circumstances,” said Major

The National Park Service, along with the City of Gary, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 4 for the new pedestrian bridge at Indiana Dunes National Park’s Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education. With the new pedestrian bridge in place, the center will again be able to safely host school children attending ranger-led education programs in addition to a wide variety of public programming for the community and national park visitors. During the ceremony, Indiana Dunes National Park Superintendent Jason Taylor emphasized, “The bridge isn’t really the main point,” Taylor said. “You can now safely, easily and quickly

Join us this Veterans Day as we honor the brave men and women who have served our country. The 37th Annual Veterans Day Ceremony will take place on Monday, Nov. 11 at the La Porte Civic Auditorium. The program, organized by the Mayor's Veterans Committee, begins at 10:30 a.m. Before the ceremony, donuts and coffee served from 9-10:15 a.m. in the lower level. For more information, see the flyer or call Lesa Rosenbaum at 574-315-8362.

To show our gratitude, all active-duty military personnel and veterans are invited to ride the South Shore Line for free November 8-11, 2024, on all weekday and weekend trains. “We are honored to once again offer free rides to active-duty military personnel, veterans, and reservists, as a gesture of our sincere gratitude for their service and sacrifices,” said Nicole Barker, Director of Capital Investment and Implementation at the South Shore Line. “This small token of appreciation reflects the deep respect we have for those who have served our country, and we hope it makes traveling with us even more accessible

The Michigan City Police Department has focused on the mental and physical wellness of their officers during this year. The department has started a Peer Support Team, which is made up of five police officers and one social worker. The department administration continues to focus on supporting the men and women who protect and serve the community of Michigan City, Indiana. The MCPD Administration has worked with organizations and businesses in the community to get funds and equipment to put together a decompression room that will be used by the department staff. The decompression room will be a private room

The Indiana Broadband Office (IBO), a division of the Indiana Office of Technology, is excited to announce Indiana has received $15 million to implement its statewide Digital Equity Plan. The funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program created through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act from 2021.  “We are excited to see Indiana receive funding from the Digital Equity Capacity Grant,” said Chief Broadband Officer Steve Cox. “This program will further bridge Indiana’s digital divide by supporting programming like digital literacy and internet affordability. With many services being delivered online, digital equity and accessibility are

A new traffic signal will be activated the morning of Thursday, Nov. 7 on State Road 152/Indianapolis Boulevard between 167th Street and 165th Street at the new YMCA facility. INDOT asks the public to use caution when navigating the new traffic pattern in the area. Check back with wimsradio.com for more roadwork updates.  

The following are the final but unofficial election results in La Porte County:

Two people have been arrested after theft of a donation jar from a Porter gas station. On Nov. 4 at approximately 10:25 a.m., Porter Police received a call from the Porter Quick Stop gas station. An employee advised three males had entered the store and stole merchandise, as well as a donation jar on the counter. The trio then ran out to their vehicle and sped away Eastbound on U.S. 20. The vehicle used in the theft was a maroon Buick Lesabre with Indiana license plates. Porter Police arrived on the scene within minutes and checked the area but were

A Valparaiso teenager lost his life on Monday evening, when he was struck by a vehicle as he was riding his bicycle on County Road 500 West in Porter Township, the Porter County Sheriff’s Police said. The victim has been identified as 16-year-old Mitchell Sterling. According to PSCP, Sterling was northbound on his bike, north of State Road 2, when a motorist in an SUV, also northbound on County Road 500 West, struck him. “This area is not well lit and the driver reported they did not observe the bicyclist in the roadway when they collided,” the PSCP said. “The

INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK, Ind.:  The National Park Service is planning to conduct four prescribed fires this fall at Indiana Dunes National Park. In the east end of the park, a prescribed fire will cover 77 acres around Dunewood Campground, clearing fallen leaves and branches to reduce wildfire threats for next year’s camping season. This prescribed fire occurs every fall, as conditions allow. Additionally, in the east end of the park, a burn will take place adjacent to Beverly Shores in the Derby Ditch area, covering 150 acres to support wetland restoration by removing overgrown vegetation. This area is bordered