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To enhance safety for motorists and pedestrians, the City of Valparaiso will be stepping up enforcement efforts for traffic violations that lead to accidents, particularly speeding. “We simply want to remind motorists of speed limits and safe driving habits so pedestrians can comfortably share the roadways with vehicles,” said Mayor Jon Costas. “There are essentially three E’s in traffic management – education, engineering and enforcement,” said Mayor Jon Costas. The Valparaiso Police Department has historically focused on education, issuing verbal or written warnings to remind motorists of speeds and safety concerns. Engineering – adding signage and traffic calming features like

Press Release, Porter County Health Department: The Porter County Health Department is excited to announce the launch of the Porter County Find Help website, a custom resource page for Porter County, now live at https://portercounty.findhelp.com. Since it began in 2010, Find Help has provided a free platform where individuals can access free or reduced-cost resources based on location and categories, such as food, housing, healthcare, transportation, education, employment, legal services and more. Sam Burgett, Social Worker with the Porter County Sheriff’s Office, started this initiative alongside the Community Resource Network (CRN) she founded while at the Valparaiso Police Department. For

Press Release, Indiana Builders Association: The Indiana Finance Authority unveiled the recipients of the loans from the first round of the Residential Infrastructure Fund (RIF). 11 Indiana communities were approved to receive $51 million in loans to finance infrastructure projects that support residential housing development. Communities were selected based on the need for additional housing inventory to accommodate local job growth. The recipients are included below:   Applicant                          Site Name                                           County              

On Sunday, June 23, 2024, at approximately 6:44 p.m. Porter Police were made aware of a possible drowning at Porter Beach. Porter Police Lieutenant J. Holaway arrived on scene and immediately noticed a life ring (water rescue device) missing from the post where it is normally stored. Beachgoers informed him it was being utilized to rescue multiple juveniles in the water and directed him to the location. A group of friends advised officers they observed a juvenile female struggling in the water. Visitors of the beach banded together and pulled her to shore. While doing so, they observed another juvenile

Franciscan Health Michigan City staff members were recently honored with the hospitals’ annual awards. Emergency department nurse LeAnn Collins received the St. Camillus Award, emergency medicine physician Dr. Christina Foreman received the St. Luke Award and environmental services associate Frank Serrano received the St. Joseph Award.   Each year, Franciscan Health Michigan City awards the St. Luke Award to honor a physician and the St. Camillus Award to honor a registered nurse. The winner of the St. Luke award, named for the patron saint of physicians and surgeons, is nominated by and voted upon by the nursing staff. The St.

With summer now officially here, Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department would like to remind residents and visitors to have a fire safe summer. Whether you plan to use a grill for a grand barbecue or enjoy a refreshing swim or other outdoor activities. A cautious reminder to keep safety at the forefront when planning these activities is important to prevent serious injuries or death. According to the National Fire Protection Association, grilling-related fires peak in July (16%). Gas grills were involved in an average of 8,900 home fire per year, with leaks or breaks being the primary issue found. Charcoal

Press Release, Franciscan Health: MICHIGAN CITY, Indiana – Franciscan Health Michigan City is presenting the latest installment in its free, faith-based church diabetes initiative, Fan Out Diabetes. Franciscan Health Michigan City’s Fan Out Diabetes program is a faith-based diabetes initiative that pairs minority LaPorte County church congregations with the healthcare system and community organizations to bring two-day diabetes education, prevention and detection mini workshops – free of charge – to the church after Sunday services. The events feature education, screenings, insurance enrollment assistance and more. The next sessions will take place at 12:30 p.m. Central on July 14 and Aug.

The City of Valparaiso will offer free rides on the V-Line intracity bus on election days to encourage voter turnout and community engagement. “Transportation should not be an obstacle to participating in elections,” said Mayor Jon Costas at the Board of Public Works and Safety where the decision was made. “We want to encourage our community to participate in government at the local level and beyond,” he said. The idea of offering free transit was introduced by City Council Member Barbara Domer (District 3) who advanced the idea for general elections. When the idea was introduced, the board chose to

The City of La Porte is looking for volunteer groups to spread safety surface on playgrounds. Other volunteer opportunities available as well. Visit www.laporteparkandrec.com/volunteer or contact Emily Archambault at 219-326-9600 or by e-mail at earchambault@cityoflaportein.gov for more information.  

The Valparaiso Police Department is again participating in National Night Out, which is scheduled for Tuesday, August 6, 2024. National Night Out is a nationwide event, bringing communities and police together under positive conditions, creating an exchange of ideas, and developing a partnership with citizens.  The festivities will begin at 6:00 p.m. as they will once again be making stops within subdivisions and organized groups throughout the night.  Start planning your activities and events today, as prior years have included games, ice cream socials, cook outs, and small block parties. The Valparaiso Police Department is inviting community members and neighborhood

The St. Joseph County Police Department has given an update to a fatal rollover crash that occurred Thursday night. At about 11:45 p.m., St. Joseph County Police were dispatched to State Road 2 and Pine Road for a verbal altercation between two drivers involved in a traffic accident. Upon arrival, a county officer found only one of the drivers remaining on scene. Rene Hernandez-Ramirez informed the officer that the other driver left the scene in a gray SUV heading north on Pine. As the officer was still talking with Hernandez-Ramirez, a police radio dispatch went out for a single vehicle

In Portage, starting Monday, June 24 through Friday, June 28 Airport Road will be closed to through traffic between Central Avenue and Lute Road. The Prairie Duneland Trail parking lot off Airport Road will also be closed. This closure is for the purposes of concrete removal in preparation for a paving project. Dates are weather dependent. Detour routes will be posted.

The Michigan City Parks & Recreation Department announces that there will be a special events parking fee on Thursday, July 4, 2024. View the full release on WIMS' FACEBOOK page as well as here. #wims #michigancity Michigan City Parks & Recreation Department

The Michiana Humane Society will be giving pets microchips for $10 on June 29 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Register your pet, then bring them to Michiana Humane Society to get chipped. Visit https://michianapets.org/resources/microchipping/ for more information.

The City of Valparaiso has equipped City Council Chambers with hearing assistance devices to aid people in hearing meetings held at Valparaiso City Hall. “We want to make city government accessible and helping people to hear better at our meetings is just one more way to assist,” said Mayor Jon Costas. The newly added technology is a wireless hearing aid device that connects to the City’s audio system and provides amplified sound during public meetings. To access a hearing assistance device, simply ask an official at the meeting for a headset and a portable receiver. Valparaiso’s public meetings may also

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Lubeznik Center for the Arts (LCA) has received a grant for $20,000 from the Health Foundation of La Porte to enhance the La Porte, Ind. community by facilitating a mural. Through the collaborative process, the goal of the project is to foster a sense of shared ownership and pride in the community. There is much evidence that murals with public input contribute to the economic and the physical health of a community. These compelling reasons are why LCA is spearheading this project. The mural will be located on the south wall of the La Porte County Library (LPCPL) Exchange building

Valparaiso Police are investigating a vehicle crash involving a pedestrian. On Wednesday at about 5:40 p.m., police responded to the intersection of Valparaiso Street and Monroe Street. Upon arrival, police learned a juvenile had been struck by a motor vehicle and sustained serious injuries. The Valparaiso Fire Department arrived on scene with police and began immediate treatment. The juvenile was transported from the scene to a nearby landing zone, then onto Comer Children’s Hospital by medical helicopter. The crash investigation remains open; however, charges related to the crash are not expected at this time. Police said there was no indication

Press Release, Purdue University Northwest: The Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest (PNW) has opened applications for the 2024-2025 Leadership Northwest Indiana (LNI) program. This premium leadership program, facilitated by a team that includes faculty members from the PNW College of Business, as well as leadership practitioners, meets once a month for eight months. A 360 assessment and custom coaching are program highlights. The facilitation team provides research-based leadership content and skill-building for effective leadership in the workplace and in life. Leadership Northwest Indiana is well-regarded as a great place for professionals to build their networks, as they learn from the

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office says they’ve been alerted to an old scam making the rounds in their area. This one involves fake arrest warrants, and was brought to police’s attention by a local Public Defender. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office gave details on the scam: “Here’s how it works: Someone pretending to be "Sergeant Davis" is calling folks, using the phone number (219) 271-2160. They claim there’s an arrest warrant out for you and say you need to pay up to avoid getting in trouble. It’s all fake! Sheriff Pat Williamson wants everyone to know: "Law enforcement doesn’t call

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) associate professor of Nursing Janet H. Davis received a U.S. Fulbright Faculty Scholar award to develop and strengthen Nursing leadership and teaching in Sri Lanka during the 2024-25 academic year. Davis will be hosted by the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Colombo. Her Fulbright engagement objectives center on using evidence-based practices that will augment nursing leadership and practice, both in higher education and applied settings. Davis will contribute to international scholarly perspectives in nursing education, as well as partner with the Sri Lanka Nurses Association to provide continuing education for nurses in the country.