News

The National Park Service plans to conduct seven prescribed fires this fall totaling more than 1,400 acres. Several of the burns are carryovers from the spring that could not be completed due to unfavorable weather conditions, according to the National Park Service (NPS).   The NPS announced that at the east end of the park, near Central Avenue Beach, the 215-acre Kansas Avenue unit, will be burned. At the nearby Dunewood Campground, another 77 acres are planned.   They also announced that near the center of the park adjacent to Dune Acres, the 547-acre Howes Prairie/Lupine unit will be burned. Near Ogden

The City of Valparaiso will begin its annual curbside leaf pick-ups from October 24 through Dec. 2, weather permitting, announced Mayor Matt Murphy. The City has four leaf collection zones and will rotate continuously. Progress updates will be provided to residents, so they have a better idea of when to expect leaf collection in their own neighborhoods. Some areas of the city take longer due to more trees and the weather also affects the collection efforts. To view the progress updates and learn your zone, visit https://tinyurl.com/ValpoLeaf. The Valparaiso City Services Department of Public Works (DPW) will post periodic progress

Franciscan Health recently announced $450,000 in funding for community health improvement through its Social Impact Partnership Program (SIPP). Fifty-seven non-profits located throughout Franciscan Health’s Indiana service regions and south suburban Chicago were selected from applications to receive funding of up to $9,750 per organization. Partners in the Hammond/Munster/Dyer area are Boys & Girls Club of Greater Northwest Indiana, Girls on The Run of Northwest Indiana, Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana, Hope Christian Church, Housing Opportunities, Indiana Parenting Institute Inc. (IPI), Indiana Women in Need (IWIN) Foundation, Mental Health of America of Lake County Inc., St. Michael’s Wheelchair Ramp Ministry,

Chesterton residents are encouraged to take three minutes to complete Downtown Chesterton Usage and Parking Survey. The Town of Chesterton says the Chesterton Branding Leadership Team (CBLT) is asking folks to take three minutes to complete its Downtown Chesterton Usage and Parking Survey. The Town of Chesterton says, “If you spend much time in the Downtown—or possibly if you don’t, because you find it difficult to find accessible parking—you’ve got a stake in the results of the survey.”  Surveys need to be completed by Sunday, Oct. 30. See more on the Town of Chesterton Facebook page.  The survey can be

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) recently gained approval from the Higher Learning Commission to begin offering a Doctor of Technology degree. PNW’s Doctor of Technology, which will be offered through the College of Technology, is the university’s second applied doctoral program and will begin enrolling students for spring 2023. The new program joins PNW’s Doctor of Nursing Practice. PNW also is in the process of developing a Doctor of Psychology degree program. “This program will develop leaders at the highest end of the professional and expertise spectrum who are in high demand by start-ups, emerging industries and established corporations operating in

The Valparaiso Police have added two additional police officers Monday, with the swearing-in of Ethan Biggs and Nathan Cashman. Mayor Matt Murphy performed the ceremony within the council chamber of City Hall. Chief Jeff Balon, with numerous officers and civilian staff in attendance, joined the family and friends of the new officers to witness the event. During the ceremony, Chief Balon welcomed the new hires to the VPD family and congratulated them on their appointments. Ethan is a 2012 graduate of South Central High School. Ethan further comes to VPD with prior police experience, having served with the Starke County

Nearly 70,000 fingerling walleyes are planned to be stocked by DNR during the next few weeks in 14 northern Indiana lakes. The fingerlings being stocked average 4 to 7 inches long. Adult walleye typically reach 14 inches in length after two years of growth and 16 inches by their third year. These walleye were purchased from Gollon Bait and Fish Farm and grown at Fawn River State Fish Hatchery. Lakes and (county) to be stocked include:         Adams (LaGrange)         Pretty Lake (LaGrange)         Big Turkey (Steuben)        

Residents who would like weekly pickups of their leaves, may use compost/yard waste bags available from area merchants. No plastic bags and no toters are to be used. Leaves in paper yard bags or 32-gallon trash cans should be placed in the front of property, and will be picked up, by the Refuse Department with regular compost day until the week ending Nov. 18. Leaf pickup is split up into three areas during different periods for several weeks. More information can be found on the flyer provided.

(LA PORTE, Ind.) - The Pax Center, a nonprofit working to engage food insecurity and loneliness in LaPorte County since 2015, has named Yiakeshia (Keshia) Herma as its new Director. Herma's background in nonprofit work, her passion for food justice issues, and her belief in social entrepreneurial innovation will help advance the Pax Center's mission of keeping LaPorte County well-fed and well-loved. Herma previously served as the Career Center Manager for Goodwill Industries of Northern Indiana in Griffith, Indiana. She oversaw programs and staff that provided resources, guidance, skill training, and job placement for the unemployed and underemployed. Herma has

Mayor Duane Parry is making a change in leadership at the Michigan City Police Department. Parry stated in a press release on Friday that Officer Steven Forker will assume the position of Chief of Police beginning Oct. 19. Current Chief of Police Dion Campbell was not mentioned in Parry's statement. A copy of the press release can be found below. The following is the statement from Mayor Duane Parry: Dear Michigan City Residents, After extensive review of the excessive number of officers leaving the Michigan City Police Department and the impact this is having on our City, and the steadily

A Westville Correctional inmate was found after not being accounted for Friday morning, according to the Westville Police Department. Police were notified Friday morning by Westville Correctional that an inmate was not accounted for during a head count. Police stated they immediately contacted the Westville Schools to inform them of the situation and advised to put the school on a precautionary lockdown until the subject could be located. During the course of the incident, police were advised that the subject was still on the prison’s grounds. The inmate, 31-year-old Dustin Lappin, was found Friday evening inside the facility not having

A Michigan City man was arrested on charges of arson after an investigation into two vehicle fires earlier this month, according to the Michigan City Police Department. Dispatch received a call on Oct. 1, at around 01:19 a.m. about a vehicle fire at the Garden Estates West apartment complex. Officers responded to the scene and discovered one vehicle that was fully engulfed in fire and a second vehicle parked close by that also started to catch fire. The Michigan City Fire Department was dispatched to the scene and  extinguished the fire to both vehicles. Officers began an investigation into the

A chance encounter by a local physician with a man asking for money for food on the street led to the creation of a food and diaper pantry that opened its doors this week to serve community members in need. The Fresh Start Market and Diaper Pantry at 5454 Hohman Avenue in Hammond officially opened Wednesday following a blessing and dedication Oct. 7. The Fresh Start Market is a healthy food bodega where those in need can shop free of charge. The Diaper Pantry, located adjacent to the Fresh Start Market, provides diapers, wipes and other essentials for free to

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind.-- A Hammond man is facing charges of theft and criminal mischief for allegedly damaging an ATM and while taking an undisclosed amount of money. The Michigan City Police Department was notified on the morning of Oct. 9, regarding the theft of currency from an ATM machine located at First Trust Credit Union on U.S. Highway 20. Police learned the ATM had sustained an extensive amount of damage and was deemed a total loss. An audit was conducted by a representative from First Trust Credit Union who revealed that an undisclosed amount of money was taken from the

Extended closures have been announced for the S.R. 23 bridge over the St. Joseph River in South Bend.  The Indiana Department of Transportation has announced an extended closure of the northbound side of the State Road 23 bridge over the St. Joseph River in South Bend. During a deck overlay project this summer, crews discovered that additional repairs to the bridge are necessary. Due to the expected scope of the repairs, much of the work cannot begin until next spring. Traffic will utilize one lane in each direction on the southbound side of the bridge until the repairs can be

The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) is now accepting applications for the 2023 On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program. On-Ramp is a program for artists and creative entrepreneurs seeking training and resources around establishing or supporting an arts-based business in Indiana. On-Ramp focuses on ten key business concepts for a successful creative career including defining value, business structure, identifying and marketing to customers, pricing strategy, marketing strategy, managing expenses and generating revenue, taxes, and planning.   The On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator is comprised of a three-day in-person intensive entrepreneurship and community engagement workshop and the opportunity to apply for up to $2,000 in

Franciscan Physician Network’s Coolspring Health Center is welcoming the addition of two new audiologists, Jackie Fletcher, AuD, and Erin Pluard, AuD. Fletcher and Pluard both received their training at Rush University in Chicago and completed their residencies at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. Their clinical interests include hearing aid technology, Cochlear implants, tinnitus management and vestibular testing. Franciscan Physician Network’s Coolspring Health Center is located at 1225 E. Coolspring Ave., Suite 300, in Michigan City. For more information or to make an appointment, call (219) 873-2992.

Early in-person voting is underway for the 2022 Indiana General Election after kicking off on Wednesday.  Now until Monday, Nov. 7, Hoosiers can vote early in-person before General Election Day. All registered Indiana voters are eligible to vote early in-person. Voters who need to cast their ballot by mail may request an absentee ballot online at www.indianavoters.com or from their county clerk’s office. Requests for absentee ballots by mail must be delivered by Thursday, October 27. More than half of Indiana counties now offer vote centers, which allow voters to cast a ballot at any polling location in their county.

Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) Wednesday released information on a projected increase in winter heating bills for gas customers. The following is the news release released by NIPSCO: Future Natural Gas Market Prices Projected to Increase Winter Heating Bills for NIPSCO Gas Customers Flexible payment options and energy assistance available MERRILLVILLE, Ind. – Due to current market price projections for natural gas and assuming normal winter weather, NIPSCO natural gas residential customers could expect their winter heating bills this season to be higher when compared to last year. This is in line with trends across much of the country. Each

The Chesterton High School Trojan Guard marching band earned a Gold Rating this past Saturday, at the ISSMA Scholastic Prelims Contest hosted by Chesterton High School. The Trojan Guard also received the “With Distinction” designation for its high scores in visual performance. Awarded the highest score in its class, the Trojan Guard will now advance to the Scholastic State Finals competition on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Franklin Central High School in Indianapolis.  Experience “Something Blue” in a free public performance at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, in the CHS stadium. The event will begin with an explanation of the creation