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The Washington Park Zoo in Michigan City announced Monday that the African Lions and the Bengal Tigers will soon have more room at the WPZoo. The zoo says it will soon start work on a  $1.6 million dollar habitat expansion project to “Build for the Big Cats”.   The construction start date has yet to be announced. The zoo says some pathways will close while the work takes place.  The Washington Park Zoo says if you’re interested in supporting the project, or any of the many other planned improvements, including the renovations to make the free flight parakeet aviary into an

The Town of Chesterton announced on its Facebook page that the town's park board selected Tyler McLead as their new park superintendent. At its meeting last Wednesday, the Park Board voted unanimously to make McLead the new Park Superintendent. The position has been vacant since the resignation of Shane Griffin in January. Current Park Board Member and retired superintendent Bruce Mathias has been serving under contract as Interim Superintendent. McLead’s first day on the job: Monday, May 2. McLead has 12 years of experience in municipal recreation, most recently as Superintendent, St. John Parks & Recreation; and prior to that

April 11th, 2022, on Sunday at approximately 10:15pm, the LaPorte County Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 call in reference to a burglary in progress at 3309 Franklin St. Additional information was received by Dispatchers of a dark colored vehicle headed south on Franklin St. Multiple Officers from Uniform Patrol Shift 2 and Uniform Patrol Shift 3 immediately responded and began to canvas the area for the dark colored vehicle. A vehicle matching the description given was located traveling south on Franklin St and a traffic stop was performed by Officers in the 4100 Block of Franklin St. The driver

Turkey mating season is upon us. Please use caution as the males are much more aggressive over the course of this next month. It is very normal for them to chase their reflection on your car and become more aggressive when a female bird is around. Use caution and let the Ogden Dunes Police Department know if you are experiencing particular problems in a certain area. They will see what kind of solution they can work out.

Attorney General Todd Rokita invites Hoosiers to head on over to IndianaUnclaimed.gov and see what “egg-cellent” surprises you might find. You never know what the Easter bunny might bring to spice up your holiday. “My office is committed to returning unclaimed property to Hoosiers,” Attorney General Rokita said. “This Easter holiday is a perfect time to hop online and start searching for something every bunny will love.” While all states administer unclaimed property programs, Indiana is the only one where the attorney general oversees this function. Last year, Attorney General Rokita’s Unclaimed Property Division returned $48 million to Hoosiers, and you

A driver was arrested for OWI Friday morning after being over 5 times the legal limit. Troopers from the Indiana State Police Lowell Friday morning, 911 callers contacted the post to report an erratic driver traveling northbound on I-65. Trooper Stancy and Trooper Runyon located the vehicle and were able to get the driver to stop near the 243 mile-marker (north of the Lowell exit). Police say that during the investigation, the driver could barely stand without falling over. Out of an abundance of caution, an ambulance was called and the driver was transported to a hospital for an evaluation.

Valparaiso Police Chief Jeff Balon announced Friday another graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety, School of Police Staff and Command. Balon stated , “As Chief of Police, I consider it a vital part of my role to create and facilitate a viable succession plan for the Valparaiso Police Department (VPD).  This includes developing and mentoring future leaders of the department.   One of the ways the department does this is by sending potential leaders to Northwestern University Center for Public Safety, School of Police Staff and Command. This is a 10-week training course that teaches police officers, holding

The City of La Porte Park and Recreation Department recently welcomed the Steady Stitchers Sewing Group to its new “home” in the park facility at 1640 First St. The group, which is part of Purdue Extension Homemakers, takes in donations and makes items to donate to the less fortunate in the community. As part of the transition to operating the Activity Center for Older Adults, the department collaborated with other community partners to move the Steady Stitchers from the basement. The group celebrated the new location with its Lend-A-Hand Day Thursday, drawing dozens of volunteers to help with sewing projects.

LAPORTE COUNTY- The State Road 8 bridge over the Kankakee River, four miles east of La Crosse, will be closed for maintenance starting Monday at 7 a.m. State Road 8 will be closed between County Road South 600 West and State Road 39, at South 600 West., until June 22 at about 5:00 p.m. The Indiana Department of Transportation says motorists should use the official detour of U.S. 421 north to U.S. 30 east to State Road 39 south.

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) announced it received approval on Friday from the Purdue University Board of Trustees to offer a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity degree. PNW plans to transition current undergraduates and welcome new students into the program during the 2022-23 academic year, pending approval by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. PNW students currently enrolled in the bachelor’s of Computer Information Technology degree, with a concentration in Cybersecurity, would be eligible to transition to the new Cybersecurity bachelor’s degree. Since 2014, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Security Agency (NSA) have jointly designated PNW

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office said on a Facebook post Thursday that concerned citizens are reporting the arrival of "suspicious subjects" at their residences.   Police say, the unidentified males are telling homeowners they are affiliated with ADT Security Services. Police advise the public that “this bad acting duo” are not representatives of ADT and to not allow them inside your residence. 

To accommodate passengers attending Star Trek: Mission Chicago Thursday through Sunday (April 8-10), the South Shore Line will be offering select weekday train stops at McCormick Place Station on Friday, in addition to regular service to McCormick Place during the weekend. The following weekday trains will make special flag stops at McCormick Place on Friday, April 8: Note: Eastbound Trains 109, 113, 119, 121, 123 terminate at Carroll Ave.; Train 209 terminates at Gary Metro Center; Trains 9, 17 & 19 terminate in South Bend. * For other specific station stop times, please view the attached special timetables. All weekend trains

The Valparaiso Police Department is seeking the assistance in locating missing teen, Julian Rebeles, of Valparaiso. Julian is described as a 14-year-old male, 6 feet tall, 160 pounds, with brown hair, and brown eyes. Rebeles was last seen at his home in Valparaiso by his family on March 12. Police say they “have indicators that he has left Valparaiso; however, may be with friends in the northwest Indiana or Chicagoland region.” Police are looking for any assistance that may lead to Julian’s location, past or present. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Melanie Sheets at 219-462-2135. Information

Vermont Oxford Network (VON) has awarded a “Center of Excellence in Education and Training for Infants and Families Affected by Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome” designation to Franciscan Health Crown Point. The award recognizes that at least 85 percent of the multidisciplinary care teams participating in “Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Collaborative: Improving Care to Improve Outcomes” completed universal training for care of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Infants born with NAS, a drug withdrawal syndrome caused by exposure to opioids while in utero, are more likely to have respiratory complications, feeding difficulty, low birthweights and extended hospital stays. Carrie Renschen, MSN, RNC-NIC, director of

Chesterton Fire Chief Eric Camel accepted a no-match Fire Safety Grant in the amount of $1,250 from Indiana American Water Company (IAWC) on Tuesday, according to the Town of Chesterton. Camel said that the department will dedicate the funds to its Community Risk Reduction Program. The program is an outreach focusing on the usage and upkeep of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as on slip and fall protection, particularly for seniors in Chesterton. More information on this story can be found on the Town of Chesterton Facebook page.

Update: Police have provided an update regarding the two suspects from Gary who are wanted in connection to a fatal shooting in Indianapolis: "Indiana State Police Detectives believe one of the suspects, Briean Brown Jr., drives a black 2006 Mercedes. The photo of Brown's vehicle from a traffic camera was provided to ISP by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Anyone with information about about either Briean Brown Jr. or Dawan Glenn Jr. is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS or online at www.crimetips.org."     Original story: Gary man arrested in connection fatal shooting, 2 others wanted Jasinto

Do you eat while you drive? Maybe you apply your makeup while behind the wheel? Be careful, Police will be looking for you during this one day crackdown event.   The La Porte County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) is joining other law enforcement agencies across the country for a one-day targeted enforcement campaign to combat texting and other forms of distracted driving. On April 7, motorists can expect to see increased roving and high-visibility patrols by deputies on high-alert for hands-free violations.    According to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving claimed the lives of 3,142 people, or more than 8%

Voters for a Green Indiana (VGI) released its Green Voters Guide for the 2022 primary election. The non-partisan guide is for Hoosiers who want to vote for candidates who accept climate science and will help Indiana transition to clean energy. Recent polls, including one in the Indy Star, show Republican, Independent and Democratic voters support climate action, clean energy and net metering over the economy. Reports show the impacts of climate change are accelerating and getting worse. In February, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its latest report, highlighting the causes, impacts, and possible solutions to climate change. It is a call to governments and the private sector to take action against