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Call for projects open Sept. 3 through Oct. 11 The Indiana Department of Transportation today announced a commitment of $50 million in Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds to support safety improvement projects on local road networks across Indiana. The commitment solidifies the agency's renewed focus on safety and related goal of reducing fatal and serious injury crashes on Indiana roadways by 25% over the next ten years. "This is a goal that we can't reach on our own," said INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith. "It's going to take all of us, at both the state and local levels, working together, to

New Prairies semi state championship game happened over the weekend on Saturday. They defeated Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger 5 to 3 in the semi final and twin Lakes by a score of 6 to 4 in the championship game. New Prairie will play Brebeuf Jesuit on Friday in Indianapolis at Victory Field. The championship game was Coach Mark Schellinger’s 200th win. Story and Picture provided by Michael Kellems

Here are Food the Bank of Northern Indiana's Scheduled Mobile Food Distributions for June 2024. See Below for details: Tuesday, June 11, 2024 – Marshall County 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET *While supplies last. Where: Webster Elementary School, 1101 S. Michigan St., Plymouth, IN 46563 *This distribution is sponsored by CVS and will serve 200 households. Wednesday, June 12, 2024 – LaPorte County 10 a.m. – Noon CT *While supplies last. Where: LaPorte County Fairgrounds, 2581 IN-2, LaPorte, IN 46350 *This distribution is sponsored by Citizens Concerned for the Homeless and will serve 300 households. Thursday, June 20, 2024

Registration for the 6th Annual Bolt for the Heart and Play for Jake Foundation event on July 27 is now open. With a new look, new course, and a few surprises being planned, you don’t want to miss this event. Proceeds from this year’s event will help offset the maintenance costs of the AED units in law enforcement vehicles across La Porte County. Register at  https://runsignup.com/.../BoltfortheHeartLaPorteCounty  

The La Porte Park and Recreation Department introduced Cole Smith as their new Recreation Director. “Cole joins us with a wealth of experience in recreational management and a strong commitment to fostering community spirit through engaging activities,” the La Porte Park and Recreation Department said on its Facebook. “As our new Recreation Director, Cole will be responsible for developing and overseeing a variety of recreational activities and events designed to cater to all age groups and interests. From sports leagues and fitness classes to arts and crafts workshops and community gatherings, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.” “Cole's

PORTER COUNTY – A passenger was airlifted to hospital following a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of U.S. 20 and North Brummitt Road in Westchester Township this morning, Friday, June 7, the Porter County Sheriff’s Police reported, along with the Town of Chesterton. According to police, just after 7 a.m. a Honda CRV was southbound on North Brummitt Road when its driver appears to have disregarded the stop sign for U.S. 20 and pulled into the path of an SUV westbound on U.S. 20. The SUV then struck the CRV, the police said. The female passenger in the SUV was

The City of La Porte Park and Recreation Department recently announced that they received five new AEDs through a grant from the Health Foundation of La Porte. “In recognition of National CPR and AED Awareness Week, let’s remember the importance of being prepared to save lives,” the department said on its Facebook page. “Knowing how to perform CPR and use an AED can make all the difference in an emergency.” For more info on where to find AEDs, visit www.hflaporte.org/when-seconds-count-aed and look at the La Porte County AED locations or download the Pulsepoint AED app.  

The LaPorte County Drug Task Force (LCDTF), an Indiana HIDTA Initiative, announced the arrest of 29-year-old Laporte resident, Kayla Shaffer, for dealing resulting in death. In September of 2023, the LaPorte County Drug Task Force was contacted by La Porte Police Department regarding an overdose at the 600 block of Tecumseh Street in La Porte. On scene, officers and detectives identified the victim, 22-year-old Cannon Breneman, who was found deceased by family members. The LaPorte County Coroner’s Office also responded. Due to evidence located on scene and witness statements, the case was turned over to the LaPorte County Drug Task

The City of Portage announced that due the inclement weather Wednesday, Airport Road will be closed to through traffic on Monday, June 10 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for NIPSCO pole placement. A diagram of the suggested detour route can be found  attached to this page. Follow WIMS on Facebook and continue checking wimsradio.com for the latest roadwork updates.

The LaPorte County Health Department announced that on the week of June 17 their office and water laboratory will be moving back to 809 State Street, Suite 401A in the LaPorte County Complex / Annex Building. Since December 2022 the Health Department has been located at 302 W. 8th St. in Michigan City.  

Press Release, City of Valparaiso: The City of Valparaiso is embarking on its largest-ever paving season, appropriating $8.8 million to fund an aggressive schedule of sidewalk and roadway improvements that include collector, arterial and neighborhood streets. “Historically, over the past several years, we have been committing about $3.5 million annually to road maintenance. This aggressive budget of nearly $9 million reflects a renewed priority on roadways,” said Mayor Jon Costas. In further good news, the bids for projected projects came in lower than expected. “Due to the quality bids we received at lower rates than anticipated, we’re pleased to announce

The Ogden Dunes Police Department made the following statement about a companies going door to door soliciting: "It has come to our attention that there is a Pest Control Company going door to door. Ogden Dunes has an Ordinance that prohibits solicitation unless they apply for and receive a permit from the town. Currently, the town has NOT issued any of these permits. This company has been informed that they cannot be soliciting door to door. If anyone comes to your door soliciting, please call Porter County Dispatch non-emergency at 219-477-3170. There is an Ogden Dunes Officer on duty 24

The City of Michigan City is announced that compost pickup is delayed in Michigan City this week. The Refuse Department will be out collecting compost on Saturday in order to catch up. Follow the WIMS Facebook and wimsradio.com for the latest happenings in Michigan City.  

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - An Indiana Department of Transportation will close U.S. 231 between Bell Street and Tenbrook Drive on or after Wednesday, June 12 through mid-August for two consecutive projects. U.S. 231 will first be closed between Hendricks Place and Tenbrook Drive for a pipe lining project. After the first project is complete, the closure of U.S. 231 will be between Bell Street and Fathke Road for a small structure replacement project. Motorists should seek alternate routes. The official detour will follow U.S. 41, U.S. 30 and State Road 55. U.S. 231 has been closed between Hendricks Place and

LaPorte County- The Indiana State Police Criminal Investigations Division at the Lowell Post received a cyber tip of an individual that was possessing and sharing images of child pornography. During the investigation, detectives determined that the suspect had been using the social media platforms of Snapchat and Discord to obtain and share the images.  A thorough investigation showed that the images were being sent from an individual in Michigan City.  The suspect was determined to be William H. King III, 21, from Michigan City, IN. A warrant was issued for Mr. King’s arrest for the charge of Child Exploitation, a

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Superior Construction Co Inc will have lane closures on U.S. 30 between Lake St and Clark Rd beginning on or after Monday, June 10. U.S. 30 will be reduced to one lane in each direction through late July for a bridge deck overlay preventative maintenance project at Plum Creek. Lane closures will alternate so motorists should be prepared for changing traffic patterns in the area. A detour will be in place for trucks wider than 11ft. Motorists should also be advised that there is a reduced speed limit of 35 mph

Press Release, Economic Development Corporation Michigan City: MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Family-owned D. Martin Enterprises is laying the groundwork for expanded offerings with a more than $20 million investment in a new manufacturing facility to serve the local and national steel industry. D. Martin Enterprises Vice President of Operations Cassie Martin Graham said the new building will include 112,350 square feet of manufacturing space as well as 4,000 square feet of office space. The company is expected to initially add 30 new employees with the opportunity to hire more workers in the first two years of operation. “My grandfather opened

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. - An Indiana Department of Transportation contractor will have lane closures on U.S. 31 for three bridge projects between Kern Road and County Line Road / Tyler Road beginning on or after Monday, June 10. U.S. 31 will have alternating lane closures through late September for bridge deck overlay preventative maintenance projects at Roosevelt Road, State Road 4 and Heston Ditch. Motorists should be prepared for changing traffic patterns in the area and delays during peak times. INDOT encourages drivers to allow extra time when driving through this area and follow traffic directions carefully. Motorists should

CROWN POINT – The Indiana State Department of Health recertified Franciscan Health Crown Point’s Family Birth Center as a Level III obstetric and neonatal Level of Care facility. Level III hospitals are equipped to care for complex maternal medical conditions and obstetric complications as well as infants requiring neonatal intensive care. “Expectant families and new parents alike can rest easy knowing mothers and their babies receive comprehensive care in a new, state-of-the-art facility right in their own backyard,” said Carrie Renschen, MSN, RNC-NIC, C-ONQS, director of the Family Birth Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Franciscan Health Crown Point.

HAMMOND and WESTVILLE, Ind. — Purdue University Northwest (PNW), through its College of Technology, has again earned redesignation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “This is the third time PNW earned the CAE-CD designation by DHS and NSA, affirming the quality and rigor of our cybersecurity curriculum that meets the national standard,” says Keyuan Jiang, chair of the PNW Computer Information Technology and Graphics department. “We are proud to be a CAE-CD institution producing graduates to meet the growing demand of the cybersecurity workforce.” The