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The Chesterton Police Department continued to saturate State Road 49 between I-94 and the Indiana Toll Road in January. Officers worked a total of 43 hours of extra patrols Jan. 1-31 as part of two different blitz campaigns, which were Click It to Live It; and Driving Under the Influence Taskforce. Over the course of those 43 hours, officers made 104 traffic stops—or roughly 2.5 per hour—with the following results: 19 citations (seatbelt violations, speeding, failure to stop, driving while suspended). 97 warnings (speeding, equipment violations, etc.). A felony charge of operating while intoxicated. A misdemeanor charging of operating without

Purdue University Northwest is inviting prospective students to attend Preview PNW on March 2 to learn more information about the Westville experience at the university. Preview PNW events provide prospective students and their families information about undergraduate course offerings, the admissions process, paying for college and more. Tours during the program also help students get a feel for campus life. Application fees are waived for prospective students who complete an application during a Preview PNW event. Admissions counselors will be on hand to assist and answer questions. Registration can be completed by visiting pnw.edu/westville-preview. Check-in begins at 4 p.m. on

The Michigan City Park Department is seeking public input for the Water Tower Park Renovation Project. Preliminary designs will be presented for public comment. Thursday, February 23, 2023 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Michigan City Police and Fire Training Center, located at 2510 E. Michigan Blvd. For more information, contact the Michigan City Parks and Recreation Department at 219-873-1506. Funding is provided by a $250,000.00 Community Development Block Grant and a $250,000.00 federally funded Land and Water Conservation Fund grant.

Gusty winds are expected Thursday as the National Weather Service has issued wind advisories for the area. The following is from the National Weather Service of Northern Indiana: Elkhart-Lagrange-Steuben-Noble-De Kalb-Starke-Pulaski-Marshall- Fulton IN-Whitley-White-Northern La Porte-Eastern St. Joseph IN- Northern Kosciusko-Southern La Porte-Western St. Joseph IN- Southern Kosciusko-Cass MI-St. Joseph MI-Branch-Hillsdale- Northern Berrien-Southern Berrien-Williams-Fulton OH- Including the cities of Elkhart, Goshen, Nappanee, Lagrange, Topeka, Shipshewana, Angola, Fremont, Kendallville, Ligonier, Albion, Auburn, Garrett, Knox, North Judson, Bass Lake, Winamac, Francesville, Medaryville, Plymouth, Bremen, Culver, Rochester, Akron, Columbia City, Tri-Lakes, South Whitley, Monticello, Monon, Brookston, Michigan City, La Porte, Kingsbury, Fish Lake, South Bend,

The Michigan City Police Department recently recognized three officers with awards and commendations at the February Michigan City Police Commission meeting. Corporal Aaron Bass and Lieutenant Anna Painter received Letters of Commendation. Painter could not attend the meeting. Officer Nicholas Charo received the Officer Chris Smith Award. Rene Smith, the wife of the late Officer Chris Smith, was on hand for the presentation.

La Porte Community Schools says that tearing down or relocating Schreiber Field in a recent statement. The LaPorte Community School Corporation Administration, along with the Board of School Trustees, released the following statement: “Throughout our facility assessment and strategic planning efforts, the topic of tearing down or relocating Schreiber Field has not been discussed, planned, or considered. When major building projects are proposed and agreed upon by the board and administration, a formal public engagement process occurs, which includes the presentation of rationale and illustrations, securing necessary funding, a public remonstration process, and if the project is approved and funding

Story by: Franciscan Health NORTHWEST INDIANA -- A procedure offered at Franciscan Health Crown Point is allowing cardiac patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) to eliminate the use of blood thinners and live more active lifestyles. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), AFib is the most common type of irregular heartbeat. The CDC estimates 6 million Americans have Afib, which significantly increases the risk of stroke. One of the primary treatments for AFib is blood thinners, which are used to prevent blood clots that travel to the brain and cause strokes. While blood thinners are effective, they

CROWN POINT, Indiana -- Board-certified family medicine doctor Caitlin Sienkiewicz, DO is now part of the Franciscan Physician Network and is accepting new patients in Crown Point. Dr. Sienkiewicz completed her training at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pa. She completed her residency in family medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria, Ill. Her clinical interests are basic dermatological conditions and procedures, hypertension management, osteopathic manipulative treatments, sports physicals and minor sports injury management. Dr. Sienkiewicz is accepting new patients at the Winfield Health Center at 11161 Randolph St. in Crown Point. For

The Coast Guard is warning winter enthusiasts of unstable ice conditions and encouraging people to take safety precautions following two major rescues Monday on the Great Lakes. Coast Guard boat and air crews responded to two separate ice floes off Wisconsin and Michigan with a total of 25 people rescued. Station Sturgeon Bay crew members responded to 11 people stranded on an ice floe off Sherwood Point, Wisconsin. Working with partner agencies, the Coast Guard crew safely transported five adults and six children to shore. Following the response in Wisconsin, the Coast Guard received reports of people stranded on an

Findings from a housing study have been shared by by the City of La Porte Housing Initiative. Healthcare foundation of La Porte released the following in a media release: Housing is inextricably linked to the health and wellness of a community’s residents and to the vitality of the community’s economy.   With this in mind and at the urging of Mayor Tom Dermody, the Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) recently spearheaded an effort to create a blueprint for the strategic realignment of housing efforts within the City of La Porte. The HFL Board of Directors unanimously voted to support funding for a Comprehensive Housing

The Duneland School Corporation is welcoming Marianne Orfanos to its leadership team as the district’s new Director of Exceptional Learning. The appointment comes as Porter County Education Service (PCES) interlocal school districts are bringing special education teaching and paraprofessional staff directly under their respective umbrellas in 2023-2024. Orfanos will begin her new role this spring. “Marianne is a proven leader and outstanding educator.  We are very excited to welcome her to the Duneland School Corporation,” said Superintendent Dr. Chip Pettit.  “Our students, families and staff will benefit greatly from the leadership that Marianne will provide to our schools.” “We are

The Purdue University Northwest (PNW) 2022 fall semester Dean’s List recognizing 1,738 undergraduate students for their academic achievement. Qualified students completed 12 credit hours, including at least six during the fall semester, and sustained an overall grade point average of at least 3.5 and a semester grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Students honored in the fall semester Dean’s List include 1,274 Indiana residents from 70 communities; 339 Illinois residents from 135 communities; 17 Wisconsin residents; 15 Michigan residents; seven Minnesota residents; six California residents; five students each from Florida and Iowa; two students each

***UPDATE #2 POLICE ACTIVITY SAMUELSON ROAD**** On Monday February 6th, 2023 at approximately 10:33am Porter County Central Dispatch received a report that a male had attacked a female and stole her cell phone near the intersection of Samuelson Road and Laurel Avenue. At that time, an off-duty Portage Police Officer was in the immediate area in his fully marked police vehicle and he was able to responded to the scene within seconds. Upon that officer’s arrival, a male was fleeing eastbound on foot but upon seeing the officer's police vehicle he turned around and fled into the backyard of the

A motorist was airlifted Monday morning, following a four-vehicle chain-reaction accident on U.S Highway 20 at Tremont Road in Porter, the Town of Chesterton reported on its Facebook page. The Porter Fire Department said the crash occurred at 10 a.m. The Porter Police Department was still investigating the accident as of Monday morning but preliminary information indicates that a semi-tractor trailer rear-ended a passenger vehicle at the intersection of U.S. 20 and Tremont Road, which forced the passenger vehicle into the rear of a third vehicle, and the third into the rear of a fourth, according to the Town of

Valparaiso Mayor Matt Murphy has been named to the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) Board of Trustees by Governor Holcomb. NICTD operates the South Shore Line train and is governed by a Board of Trustees representing the four Indiana counties served by the South Shore Line. “I appreciate Governor Holcomb/s confidence in me and look forward to serving on the NICTD board. I see that the growth of NICTD services translates into added opportunities for Northern Indiana residents, businesses and visitors,” said Murphy. Murphy will represent Porter County on the Board and will serve through May 31, 2026. Murphy

The Indiana DNR Division of Law Enforcement stated on its Facebook page just before 6:30 p.m. Monday that conservation officers were on scene of an off-road vehicle accident with serious injuries in northern Porter County. A helicopter was on the scene. WIMS will continue to follow this story.

The La Porte Community School Corporation Future Slicer Basketball Academy recently wrapped up their first year. For the past ten weeks, 84 boys ranging from third through sixth grade participated in a weekly basketball skills clinic at La Porte High School. Jordan Heckard, Head Varsity Coach, started the program to give future La Porte athletes the opportunity to work on foundational skills with the current Slicer basketball team. As a perk of the program, the participants receive a jersey, and a season pass to the Slicer games, where they cheer on the high school players they worked with throughout the

The Washington Park Zoo has announced that its male tiger, Stars, had recently been suffering from chronic kidney disease when the zoo decided to euthanize him at the age of 18-years-old. The zoo says chronic kidney disease is a common cause of illness and death in older feline species including tigers. Stars was diagnosed with the disease a few weeks ago and had been closely monitored and treated with medications to keep him comfortable, but his activity and appetite continued to slow. The zoo says the tough decision to euthanize Stars was necessary based on his extreme medical condition before

Indiana State Police say several charges have been filed against a Hammond man who reportedly rammed a stolen vehicle into police cars and was fired upon by a Munster police officer. Detectives with the Indiana State Police Criminal Investigations Division have filed charges against Roy Viverette, the suspect involved in the Munster officer involved shooting that took place on Feb. 1. Viverette faces charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, criminal recklessness, resisting law enforcement, auto theft and theft.   Original story: Indiana State Police: Munster officer fires at suspect ramming into police vehicles A

The Indiana Department of Transportation announced that preparation for additional concrete restoration work on I-65 in Lake County will start Monday. Overnight lane closures and the closure of the ramp from Ridge Road to Northbound I-65 will take place on or after Monday Feb 6. Watch for crews performing work on the shoulders through late April. The overnight lane and ramp closures are anticipated to take place over one evening, but additional closures may be needed through Feb 17. Overnight work hours will be from approximately 8 p.m.-6 a.m. The schedule and work is weather dependent.