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Fundraising Will Bring New Life Within Reach for Holly Szmutko 45-year-old Holly Anne Szmutko is waiting for a miracle: a double-lung transplant that will give her the chance for a healthy future. Her only hurdle is the overwhelming out-of-pocket cost of the transplant. She is partnering with the national nonprofit Help Hope Live to accept donations and support from her community. At 45 years old, Holly is living with the rare and life-threatening disease pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH). The diagnosis causes high blood pressure in the lungs along with symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and an irregular heartbeat.

The Indiana Department of Health announced today that more than 1 million Hoosiers have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine since late December. A total of 1,000,321 individuals have received at least one dose, and 569,465 are fully vaccinated. Currently, Hoosiers age 60 and older, along with healthcare workers, long-term care residents and first responders who are regularly called to the scene of an emergency to render medical assistance, are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. To schedule, visit https://ourshot.in.gov or call 211 if you do not have access to a computer or require assistance. Additional locations and

An Illinois man was arrested on I-94 in New Buffalo on Saturday for narcotics. Just after 11pm Deputy Pellerito of the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office New Buffalo Township Patrol was conducting radar on west-bound I-94, when he observed a Volkswagen Jetta traveling in excess of 90mph. When Deputy Pellerio attempted to effect a traffic stop on this vehicle, he observed the front seat passenger open the door and throw something out of the vehicle. After the items were discarded from the vehicle, the driver of the vehicle pulled over. Deputy Pellerito was assisted at the scene by a deputy from

The Ogden Dunes Volunteer Fire Department is hosting its 21st Annual Saint Patrick’s event in a COVID-19 safety modified manner. They will be offering dinners on a drive-by pick-up basis on Saturday evening, March 20th, at the Ogden Dunes Firehouse between 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm and Super Raffle with the drawing held on Labor Day weekend. The St. Pat’s Dinner (Corned Beef & Cabbage) will be 5:30 to 7:30 PM. School of Irish Dance Troupe & Pipes & Drums Band via remote Internet livestream will be at 6pm. Saint Patrick’s Super Raffle event tickets are $100 each and include

Paladin will have a fundraiser later this month at Fannie May. Consider shopping at Fannie May in Michigan City's store to help Paladin INC. for Easter or just needing something sweet for yourself or family. There will be a fundraiser March 26th from 11am to 6pm at Fannie May located at 102 W. HWY 20 in Michigan City. Visit Paladin.care for more information.

Sad News today from the Michigan City Police Department on the loss of 21 year Veteran officer James Daly. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and colleagues. The Chicago Police Department lost 21 year veteran Officer James Daly today. Officer Daly was set to retire March 2nd, 2021. The Michigan City Police Department would like to extend our deepest condolences to the Chicago Police Department along with Officer Daly’s family and friends during this difficult time.

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) today confirmed we are planning for an in-person fall semester and expect to see a return to robust operations of the university, with significant interactive classroom experiences, by the beginning of the semester on Aug. 23.The announcement is available on our website. Check out www.pnw.edu.

The Chesterton Police Commission is now accepting letters of interest and resumes from persons interested in applying for the position of Chief of Police. Salary: $73,209.20 The Town of Chesterton (population 14,000, 2019 est.) is located in Northwest Indiana in northern Porter County, just off Lake Michigan and a very short drive from Michigan and Chicago. The Chesterton Police Department provides a wide range of services, strong collaboration with the local school district, and a good working relationship with neighboring jurisdictions. The department has 24 full-time officers, four (4) full-time civilian staff, and nine (9) part-time civilians. In 2021, the department operates on

Franciscan Physician Network’s Zohair Ahmed, MD, has received board certification in interventional gastroenterology, demonstrating nationally recognized standards for education, knowledge, experience and skills. Dr. Ahmed practices at Woodland Health Center in Michigan City and Valparaiso Specialty Health Center. He did his residency in internal medicine at the University of Illinois, along with a fellowship in gastroenterology and an advanced fellowship in interventional endoscopy at University of Illinois at Chicago. His clinical interests include advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), biliary and pancreatic disease, gastrointestinal stent placement and endoscopic bariatric procedures (balloon placement and endoscopic

Two Indiana State Troopers assigned to the Toll Road Post recently reached a career milestone of 25 years. This milestone is commemorated by receiving a 25-year pin to display on their unforms. Sergeant William (Bill) Jones and Master Trooper Timothy McCormick both attended the 53rd Indiana State Police Recruit School that graduated in December 1995. Sgt. William (Bill) Jones comes from a law enforcement family. His father served on the Gary Police Department for 24 years and he also had an uncle that was a Gary Police Department Officer. Sgt. Jones graduated from West Side High School in Gary, IN in 1989

Orthopedic surgeon Nitin Khanna, MD, who has used cutting-edge technology to treat the back pain of patients at Franciscan Health Dyer, has been recognized with several patient care awards for 2020. The awards from Vitals, a New Jersey-based healthcare database company, included the Compassionate Doctor Award, the On-Time Doctor Award and the Patients’ Choice Award. He also is a five-year honoree for Compassionate Doctor Award and Patients’ Choice Award.  The awards, based on patient reviews and ratings, resulted in Dr. Khanna being rated in the top 1 percent of America’s Most Honored Doctors. Dr. Khanna, an independent physician who chooses

The La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership released its 2020 Annual Report that highlights its efforts to strengthen and support the business community today. “Every year is different and 2020 has really pushed that envelope. It has been a challenge in so many senses of the word. The pandemic has had far-reaching impacts throughout the world and here in La Porte it has been especially challenging. That said, with challenges come opportunities and the resiliency of our community means we have taken advantage of each and every one of those opportunities and our report reflects that,” said Bert Cook, Executive Director. Contents

Motorists encouraged to drive sober during St. Patrick’s Day and the NCAA Tournament The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute announced that more than 200 law enforcement agencies will be cracking down on dangerous and impaired driving in March, as part of a statewide enforcement campaign. Now until March 21, officers will be conducting high-visibility patrols showing zero tolerance for those driving aggressively, over the speed limit or under the influence. The overtime patrols are funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through a grant provided by the justice Institute. “We’re seeing an uptick in dangerous driving during the pandemic,

The City of Valparaiso has refreshed their Neighborhood Toolkit. The City says this is an excellent resource to engage your neighborhood. It is filled with city services that support neighborhoods, a directory of neighborhoods, info on the Neighborhood Grant Program (funding for neighborhood projects) and more. Check it out at www.ci.valparaiso.in.us . For a hard copy and more information and assistance for your neighborhood, contact Maggie Clifton at mclifton@valpo.us.

The Porter County Sheriff's Office says they’ve again been receiving reports that citizens have been receiving phone calls in which people were fraudulently claiming to be Law Enforcement Officials. Sometimes callers can mask the caller ID information to make it appear as if the call is coming from a police department or other government entity. If you receive a call from a person claiming to be one of their officers and are concerned they are not who they say they are, please hang up and call 219-477-3000 to verify their identity. The Sheriff's Office says if you receive a call

Yesterday, officers from surrounding jurisdictions joined to escort Lt. Eugene Lasco’s hearse from Franciscan Health in Michigan City to the funeral home. Lt. Eugene Lasco was fatally stabbed by an inmate over the weekend while working at the State Prison in Michigan City. According the the Officer Down Memorial Page ODMP.org, the weapon used was an edged weapon. Lieutenant Lasco is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren. He was 57 years old.

Yesterday, the Indiana State Department of Health updated the COVID-19 county advisory levels. LaPorte, Porter, Starke, Lake, and St. Joseph Counties remain at a yellow level. Jasper and Newton Counties have moved from yellow to blue. Positivity increased in Starke and St. Joseph Counties and decreased in the other area counties mentioned. Visit coronavirus.in.gov for more information.

DOR provides guidance to ensure you file your taxes correctly and include all required information INDIANAPOLIS — With over 1.2 million unemployment claims in 2020, more Hoosiers than ever will be including unemployment income for the first time when filing their 2020 individual income tax return. The Indiana Department of Revenue (DOR) is reminding individuals that unemployment benefits are taxable income on both state and federal returns. All unemployment recipients who opted for paper mailing will receive Form 1099G in the mail that includes the total taxable income the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) issued in a calendar year.

Indiana continues to make progress in vaccinating homebound Hoosiers for COVID-19 through a whole-community approach to reaching vulnerable residents. The Homebound Hoosiers vaccination program is helping communities across the state by identifying residents who are unable to leave their homes and utilizing the vast EMS network to visit and administer vaccines. Participants in the program must meet current eligibility requirements, but they also are physically unable to visit a vaccination clinic or do not have family or friends to help them register and travel to a site. To address this gap, the Indiana’s Area Agencies on Aging (operating in 16 regions in Indiana),

The League of Women Voters of LaPorte County announced it is hosting a free online public Town Hall meeting Saturday, March 20th at 10 AM CDT to discuss the upcoming congressional and legislative redistricting process. During the Town Hall session, panelists will discuss the history of redistricting and explain the impact of drawing boundaries to favor one political party (known as gerrymandering) and what other states have done to ensure a fair process. Every ten years, with the release of new Census data, new legislative districts are mapped out to represent the revised population numbers. As the population increases, so