News

 INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK:  While working on the Tolleston East Prescribed Fire yesterday, the National Park Service (NPS), was notified of a wildfire in the Miller section of Gary. Engine 5673, a Type 3 wildland interface fire engine, responded and determined the fire was in fact on NPS property. As resources became free from the prescribed fire, they were shifted to the Miller Woods wildfire. As of 6:00 pm last evening, the Miller Woods wildfire was approximately 300 acres burning on NPS property in Gary, Indiana.  Two fire engines and approximately 14 personnel assisted by US Steel Fire and Security

ON OUR WAY TO BE A GIG CITY!!!   Thank you Surf Broadband Solutions...Announcing today an additional $5,000,000 investment of fiber optic infrastructure.   Local Company providing gigabit service to The City of La Porte that puts us in the company of the most elite broadband cities in the U.S. Surf and the City are honored to be able to bring fiber connectivity to the residents and expand service to every home with affordable gigabit internet.

Lifeguards are needed for the summer season at Brown County, Clifty Falls, Indiana Dunes, McCormick’s Creek, O’Bannon Woods, Prophetstown, Shakamak, Spring Mill, Turkey Run, and Versailles state parks and Cagles Mill Lake (Lieber State Recreation Area). Apply by calling the property you are interested. Find Indiana State Parks phone numbers at dnr.IN.gov/state-parks/parks-lakes.

Earlier this week, happy-go-lucky Milo was diagnosed with bilateral luxating patellas. Both knees needed surgery. Dr Bailey at Michigan City Animal Hospital offered to donate 2/3 of the cost of repair, but we had to act fast because there was only one opening in the schedule for the next month.   Thanks to the people who responded quickly to our Facebook plea, we were able to authorize surgery without tapping Petey's Fund! Milo had a four hour surgery very early Thursday morning. He's an all-star patient and doing well! He will be on restrictions for a while but should be

 The Indiana Department of Health announced today that appointments are now open for the mass vaccination clinic being opened at Gary’s Roosevelt Park next week in partnership with FEMA. Appointments for the first mobile sites across northern Indiana are now available as well. Hoosiers can go to ourshot.in.gov or call 211 to schedule. The clinic will operate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT beginning April 7 through June 2. The first three weeks will provide first doses of Pfizer vaccine. The second three weeks will provide second doses of Pfizer. The single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be offered

ROAD CLOSURE - Bailey Rd will be closed between US 421 and CR 900 W in LaPorte County (near Wanatah) beginning Monday, April 5 for approx 4 weeks. The road will be closed to paint the US 421 bridge over Bailey Rd. Traffic on US 421 will not be impacted.

United Way of Porter County has awarded up to $100,000 to Valparaiso Schools’ Backpacks and Snacks program to help meet the growing need to feed hungry students on the weekends. The program provides weekend meals to students and their younger siblings in an effort to combat food insecurity and the impact it has on physical, social, emotional and academic growth. “Since the onset of the COVID pandemic, we found that we were helping more students than ever before,” said Erin Hawkins, Valparaiso Community Schools Director of Social Emotional Learning. “We needed an extra boost to help sustain the program and meet

An informational event exclusively for undocumented and DACA students “Keeping the Dream Alive,” part of the Indiana University Northwest Office of Admissions Spring Forward series of virtual information sessions about college, will take place on Friday, April 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This special event will provide an opportunity for prospective undocumented and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students, to learn more about the DACA program, the application process at IU Northwest, and how to apply for financial aid as an undocumented or DACA student. Attendees will hear from Karina Garduño, the assistant director for Multicultural Programming at

Lisa Whitty Bradley, MD, FACS, and Mark Grevious, MD, both board-certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery, are welcoming new patients at Franciscan Physician Network Hammond Clinic. Dr. Whitty Bradley received her training at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit and did her residency in general surgery at University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria, Ill. She has a fellowship in plastic and reconstructive surgery from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Dr. Witty Bradley’s clinical interests include implant-based breast reconstruction, breast reduction, benign and malignant skin lesion management and scar revision management. Dr. Grevious received his training and

Dr. Sandra Deausy, La Porte County Health Officer, has renewed the mask mandate for La Porte County for the month of April. The current health order will be reviewed at the end of the month. Please see the attached Second Amended Health Order for specifics.

 School of Engineering at Purdue University Northwest (PNW) has opened the PNW Design Studio, featuring state-of-the-art facilities and equipment and offering a new level of experience in design and innovation for engineering students. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to recognize the generous support of PNW alumnus Stewart McMillan, BS ’77, and his wife, Kathryn, whose visionary gifts made it possible to establish the PNW Design Studio – Where Ideas Flow. “Purdue Northwest was there for me at a critical time in my life,” stated McMillan, who will serve as PNW’s Commencement keynote speaker in May. He wanted to impact the

The Michigan City Police Department in partnership with the Michigan City Fire Department recently announced their Easter outreach program. MCPD says this year’s Easter Egg Hunt will be a little different when compared to those held years ago due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic along with guidelines currently set in place by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Two designated locations have been set up for this year’s Easter Egg Hunt which will take place tomorrow (April 1st) between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Those two locations include the Garden Estates apartment complex (909 Pinetree Court) and Lakeland Estates apartment

According to the town of Chesterton Officers Wednesday responded to an addiction treatment center on Indiana Boundary Road after a 30-year-old Chesterton man there began to crash following his use of heroin. According to the CPD, officers responded to the scene at 7:11 p.m., where they found the man “close to passing out.” When asked whether he had “taken anything recently,” the man advised that he’d snorted heroin about an hour earlier. When the man’s “physical condition appeared to be getting worse,” he was transported by the CPD to the Franciscan Emergency Center on Indian Boundary Road, where he “appeared

It’s that time of year again!   Riding your bike to work, exploring the bike trails of the Indiana Dunes State Park or cycling Chicago’s lakefront bike path just got easier with the South Shore Line’s Bikes on Trains program.   Bikes on Trains has expanded to now include 18 total weekday trains. The new bike trains were added to the schedule in summer 2020 to accommodate increased demand for more weekday bike service. SSL continues to offer bike accommodations on 14 weekend trains. Bike cars will be available on these select trains beginning tomorrow through Oct. 31.   For

White County -  With the assistance of the White County Coroner, a previously unidentified driver from yesterday’s fatal crash has been positively identified as Jayaraj Narayanan, 48, Des Plaines, IL. Narayanan was the driver of a 2017 Freightliner. The family has been notified. *Original news release is included below* Multi-Vehicle Crash on I-65 Claims a Life   White County – This morning at 11:00 a.m., Indiana State Police responded to a large fire that involved multiple vehicles on Interstate 65, southbound at the 187 mile-marker. Preliminary investigation by Trooper Devin Farmer revealed that a red 2017 Freightliner, pulling a tanker trailer

Hoosiers ages 16 and older are now eligible to sign up for a free COVID-19 vaccine, the Indiana Department of Health announced today. The expansion makes more than 1.3 million additional individuals eligible for vaccine.   “With this expansion in age group, more than 5.4 million Hoosiers are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine,” said State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG. “I encourage everyone who is eligible to sign up for an appointment so that we can take the next step toward putting this pandemic behind us.”   With today’s expansion, the state has now made COVID-19 vaccines

Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb, together with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), announced that an eight-week mass vaccination clinic with the capacity to administer 3,000 COVID-19 vaccines a day will open in Gary in early April. The clinic will run from April 7 to June 2 at the site of the former Roosevelt High School, 730 W. 25th Ave., Gary. The location was recommended by Indiana and selected by FEMA based on its proximity to a large number of Indiana’s high-risk citizens and medically underserved populations.

Friday 4/2/21 FISH FRY-ALL YOU CAN EAT from 5-7PM at American Legion Post #21 on Highway 421 in Westville. Dinner includes: HAND BREADED POLLOCK, chicken strips, French fries, creamy coleslaw, rolls and dessert. Special veterans and senior pricing: Adults-$10.00, Seniors(60yrs+) & Vets-$9.00, Kids 12 & under-$5.00, Preschoolers-Free. Limited seating available. Carry-outs available. Call 219-785-2923 to pre-order for carry-outs, otherwise first come first serve. Mask required for entry.

On March 29, 2021, at 2:11 AM, a New Carlisle Police Officer advised he was attempting to stop a fleeing vehicle traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of SR 2 in the area of CR 900 East. The motor vehicle pursuit continued westbound on US 20 from SR 2. Deputy Austin Howell became involved in the pursuit near US 20 and CR 350 East. The fleeing vehicle avoided two (2) sets of tire deflation devices (TDD) that had been deployed – one set at US 20 and Fail Road and a second set at US 20 and US 35. The

LAPORTE COUNTY- The Indiana Department of Transportation announces a road closure for C.R. W 400 N over I-94 beginning Tuesday, April 6. The bridge over I-94 between C.R. N 875 W and C.R. N 850 W will be closed for bridge deck joint repair for approximately 35 days. Motorists should seek an alternate route. The official detour will follow Johnson Rd, Pahs Rd and Cleveland Ave.