News

On Wednesday a new Probationary Officer was sworn in at the Michigan City Police Department. Rachel Ewart has undergone an extensive hiring process which began with over 30 potential candidates. Ewart will endure 6 weeks of in-house training with the Division of Professional Standards. Upon completion of this training, she will begin the Field Training Officer Program where she will be working within the community with their respective training officers until spaces are available for her to attend the 15-week Indiana Law Enforcement Academy Basic Course.  Ewart is a graduate from South Central High School and received her Bachelors degree

The Portage Township YMCA will host it’s 21st Annual Turkey Trot on November 25. The Turkey Trot is a competitive and professionally timed 5K walk or run with a Free Kids 1K Fun Run. Races begin at 8:00 AM Thanksgiving morning and typically wrap-up with race awards by 11:00 AM. Registration for the race can be found online only, at www.runsignup.com. Race registrations through November 7, 2021, will be guaranteed a long-sleeve commemorative shirt and finisher medal. Despite the ongoing pandemic, in 2020, the Portage Township YMCA was able to host its annual event, but it looked quite different than

The City of Valparaiso has awarded 50 Valparaiso businesses with Valparaiso Invests in Business (VIB) grants in an innovative program to support businesses with the added expenses they have incurred to maintain their workforce during the pandemic.  The Valpo Invests in Business (VIB) grant was designed to help businesses maintain operations and retain their workforce, with a priority for low- to moderate-income jobs. The City worked to create this program by securing a grant through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) with additional support from the Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission. The City received more than 60 applications for

Wednesday morning, La Porte County Sheriff's Detective Jake Koch and Deputy Austin Howell were officially notified of their grant approval from NIPSCO in the amount of $5,000 for the LCSO Unmanned Aerial Systems (drone) Program.   The La Porte County Sheriff's Office said that it is extremely grateful for all the support from their friends and partners with NIPSCO and the NiSource Foundation.  

On Wednesday, Indiana American Water Company, joined Gary Mayor Jerome Prince, community leaders and project partners at a groundbreaking ceremony to officially kick off a $24.5 million water main replacement project in Gary. The project, which will replace or retire older steel and cast-iron pipe that has experienced numerous breaks, will be constructed along 6th and 7th Avenue from Wabash Avenue to Kentucky Street as well as several north-south streets in the area. The work will retire approximately five miles of water mains from the early 1900s and install nearly 11 miles of new water mains, ranging in size from

 A retired Purdue University Northwest (PNW) professor who passed away earlier this year has left more than $700,000 to the university. The generous estate gift left by Maria O. Longas, PNW professor emerita of Chemistry, will go towards student scholarships. In 2017, while still a full-time professor at PNW, Longas committed to supporting the university through her estate plans. At the time, she requested that her planned gift remain anonymous until after her death. “Dr. Longas wanted to leave a legacy for Purdue Northwest students,” said Jamie Manahan, executive director for development and major gifts officer for PNW. “She cared

Dunes Arts Foundation has named Steve Scott as Artistic Director. Scott has directed four Dunes Summer Theatre productions, including this season’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Cabaret at the Gardens.”   Scott is an artistic associate at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, where he was an award-winning producer for 30 years before retiring in 2017. He takes over the Artistic Director position left by Tito Sanchez-Williams, who is pursuing a full-time teaching career. Scott is a member of the DAF Board of Directors and chairs the Theatre Management, Programming and Technology committee. He has begun programming discussions for the 2022 season, with plans

The Michigan City Parks & Recreation Department has received a donation from the Michigan City Historical Society that will go towards the restoration of the Historic Washington Park Bandstand. The department hopes this will spark an interest by other community minded organizations to join this project to raise the funds needed to preserve this icon of Michigan City history. The original Bandstand, donated by John H. Barker in the 1890’s was destroyed by fire in 1911. The current structure was designed by City Engineer H. M. Miles and dedicated on July 6, 1911. This Bandstand was the home of the

La Porte Police Department is ramping up enforcement this fall to protect students going to and from school. The month of September, officers with the La Porte Police Department will be conducting extra patrols looking for Aggressive Driving behaviors and School Bus Stop Arm Violations. In Indiana, it’s against the law for motorists to pass a bus that’s stopped and has its red lights flashing and stop-arm extended. This applies to all roads, with one exception. Motorists who are on a highway that is divided by a barrier, such as a cable barrier, concrete wall or grassy median, are required

A local 9-year-old is using her entrepreneurial skills to help bring comfort to other children coping with anxiety disorders. When Dahlia Garza developed anxiety issues and panic attacks last year, she began seeing Franciscan Health therapist Cathy Cinko, who gave her coping skills to help her through difficult times. Dahlia researched childhood anxiety and discovered that more than 4 million children suffer with anxiety disorders. “Ms. Cathy really helped me, so I want to help her help other kids,” Dahlia said. To provide that help, she decided to do what she does best. Dahlia operates a small crafting business, DK

The Excel Center, a free public high school for adults, is currently accepting Enrollment Applications for Term 2 of the 2021-2022 School Year.  Classes begin September 28th at Excel’s Elkhart, Gary, Hammond and South Bend locations.  Applications are accepted at any time throughout each term and new students are integrated into the schedule. Those interested can apply online at: www.ExcelCenterHS.org.  The application is free and takes less than 10 minutes to complete.  New students are encouraged to contact The Excel Center for more information and assistance completing their application.  Visitors are welcome at the South Bend, Hammond and Gary locations from 8:30

La Porte Police Department is ramping up enforcement this fall to protect students going to and from school. The month of September, officers with the La Porte Police Department will be conducting extra patrols looking for Aggressive Driving behaviors and School Bus Stop Arm Violations.   In Indiana, it’s against the law for motorists to pass a bus that’s stopped and has its red lights flashing and stop-arm extended. This applies to all roads, with one exception. Motorists who are on a highway that is divided by a barrier, such as a cable barrier, concrete wall or grassy median, are required

The City of Michigan City has announced the opening of the Singing Sands Trail. The official ribbon cutting Oct. 2, at 11 a.m. at City Hall. The trail is Michigan City’s segment of the regional Marquette Greenway Trail that connects Chicago area trails to trails in southwest Michigan. The non-motorized trail is open to the public year-round and follows ADA and Recreational Trails guidelines. The west end of the trail connects to the Calumet Trail at the Porter/LaPorte County line on Highway 12. Heading east you will encounter views overlooking an Indiana Dunes National Park wetland where you can observe

The City of Portage’s Redevelopment Commission has approved moving forward with the purchase of the former Portage Little League fields. The 7.84-acre complex is located in the city's downtown, north of Central Avenue and just west of Founders Square. The city says the property became available after the Portage Little League disbanded earlier this year and the property reverted to the ownership of Indiana Little League District 1. The city also says the commission will move forward with the due diligence phase of the purchase. The cost of the property is $750,000 and is being funded through the Redevelopment Commission's

Valparaiso Mayor Matt Murphy and Police Chief Jeff Balon recently shared details about a new Golf Cart Ordinance. To see the map of streets for golf carts, visit tinyurl.com/ValpoCartMap and the full ordinance is available at tinyurl.com/ValpoCarts. A video about the ordinance with Murphy and Balon has been posted to the Valpo Now Facebook page. To register a golf cart, call the Valparaiso Police Department from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.