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Horizon Bank has made supporting individuals and families through COVID Relief efforts a priority during the pandemic. Building on previous gifts and services, the bank has just announced an additional $30,000 gift to United Way of LaPorte County to extend the local Homelessness Prevention Program. In October, local funders including Duneland Health Council, Healthcare Foundation of La Porte, Unity Foundation of La Porte County, and United Way of LaPorte County came together to address the most pressing community needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of this partnership a pilot project took seed to help La Porte County residents stay

Since delivering the first shot into an arm in LaPorte County on Dec. 18, the staff at Franciscan Health Michigan City has administered 13,279 doses at its COVID-19 vaccine clinic. Vice President of Clinical Support Services Jill Nygren, RN, MHA, said that clinic staff are delivering vaccines to five people every 10 minutes, or about 240 doses each day of operation. The clinic currently operates in the hospital’s Blessed Maria Theresia Bonzel Community Room, Monday through Thursday and Saturdays. On April 1, the clinic will be open 8AM to 4:30PM Monday through Friday. A multidisciplinary team makes sure the vaccines

As many residents are aware, Striebel Pond was conceived as a dual-path project to control flooding along the Striebel Arm Ditch and provide a very popular 40-acre recreational park. The pond was completed in 2006 with native wetland plants. Since that time, the native plantings have been almost completely overtaken by non-native invasive species dominated by Phragmites australis. This invasive vegetation is not only unsightly, it impairs the biodiversity of the habitat and view of the pond and the many beautiful birds it attracts. To restore the native vegetation and biodiversity of the wild life habitat, the Michigan City Sanitary

Youth hunters may apply for reserved turkey hunts during the special youth wild turkey hunting season on DNR properties from March 15-26.The youth turkey season is April 17-18. Youth hunters who are under age 18 on the day of the hunt are eligible to apply. A limit will be placed on the number of youth hunters allowed to hunt a respective property on each hunting day in order to improve the quality of hunts for participants. Interested hunters or an adult representing them must register in person or by phone during the normal office hours for the property they wish

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and Franciscan Health is joining others in urging patients to schedule the screenings that they may have delayed due to the pandemic.According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, colon cancer screenings dropped roughly 90 percent and diagnoses fell by 32 percent at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Epic Health Research Network estimated 95,000 missed screenings in the U.S. during the three months from mid-March to mid-June 2020. The missed screenings mean precious time lost for treatment. Studies show more than 60 percent of colon cancer deaths could be prevented with screening.The American

Schedule a blood donation appointment by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.March is Red Cross Month, and the Red Cross is celebrating blood, platelet and plasma donors for stepping up to meet the constant need for blood amid the pandemic. In thanks for being a vital part of the organization’s lifesaving mission, all who come to give March 15-26 will receive an exclusive Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last. Upcoming blood donation opportunities March 15-31st: La Porte La Porte3/23/2021: 1 p.m. -

Indiana state park properties and inns are hiring approximately 1,300 workers for the summer season.Positions available include gate attendants, laborers, naturalist aides, security, housekeeping, dishwashers, cooks, guest services, and camp store attendants. Most positions will be seasonal, but some are full or part-time year-round positions.To apply for a position at one of the properties, see WorkforIndiana.IN.gov. To apply for a position at one of the seven Indiana state park inns, see indianainnsjobs.com. See stateparks.IN.gov to see which property or inn is closest to you.

The La Porte County Family YMCA is currently looking for dynamic individuals to assist with the before school child care program at Rolling Prairie Elementary School. With direction and assistance from YMCA professional staff, this individual will ensure excellence in the program by creating a safe, nurturing environment for children attending before school care. Candidates must be 18 years or older, have a high school diploma and have experience working with school age children. For more information, please contact Sandy Stefanko at 219-325-9622 or emailsstefanko@lpymca.org .

On March 9, 2021 at 7:00 a.m., Master Trooper Lawrence McFarrin observed a white Chevrolet Impala traveling westbound on I-94 near the 26 mile-marker (Chesterton exit).  Tpr. McFarrin subsequently paced the vehicle traveling nearly 125 mph as it was weaving in and out of traffic.  As a traffic stop was initiated near the 24 mile-marker, the driver attempted to switch positions with the front seat passenger.  During this dangerous action, the vehicle struck the guardrail on the north side of the road.  The driver was identified as Johnell C. Higgins, 36, from Detroit, Michigan.  Mr. Higgins showed signs of impairment,

The LaPorte County E-911 Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 call on March 9th, 2021 at 01:53 P.M. regarding a motorcycle crash with injuries in the eastbound lanes of East Michigan Boulevard at Dewey Street. Multiple officers from Uniform Patrol Shifts 1 & 2 responded to the scene and located a critically injured motorcyclist operator and female passenger laying in the eastbound lanes of East Michigan Boulevard next to a Harley Davidson. The motorcyclist operator was identified as 20-year-old Michigan City resident Myles Edson and his passenger was a 20-year-old female Michigan City resident. Edson was found to be suffering

The Indiana Department of Transportation announces closures for the ramps from northbound and southbound U.S. 41/Indianapolis Blvd to westbound I-80/94 starting on or after Tuesday, March 16.   The ramps will be closed for a bridge deck overlay project, which will be ongoing through mid-June, 2021. A bridge deck overlay is a protective treatment done to extend the life of a bridge deck.  Motorists should seek an alternate route. The official detour is to take the ramp from southbound or northbound U.S. 41/Indianapolis Blvd to eastbound I-80/94 and use the ramps at Kennedy Ave to turn around and go westbound on I-80/94. 

Indiana residents in need of rental assistance should apply now to a new, federally-funded state program offering assistance on a first-come, first-served basis. People can apply online at IndianaHousingNow.org to the new Indiana Emergency Rental Assistance (IERA) program. The IERA program is designed to decrease evictions, increase housing stability and prevent homelessness by helping renters whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19 with rent and utility assistance. IERA can provide eligible renter households with up to 12 months of rental assistance. Qualifying applicants may also receive utility assistance for past due utilities (electric, gas, water, sewer, and trash), home

U.S. 41/Indy Blvd ramp to I-94 to be closed for bridge workThe Indiana Department of Transportation announces a closure for the ramp from southbound U.S. 41/Indianapolis Blvd to westbound I-80/94 starting on or after Tuesday, March 16.This ramp will be closed for a bridge deck overlay project, which will be ongoing through mid-June, 2021. A bridge deck overlay is a protective treatment done to extend the life of a bridge deck. Learn more about this treatment on our Facebook page here.Motorists should seek an alternate route. The official detour is to take the ramp from southbound U.S. 41/Indianapolis Blvd to

Friday 3/12/21 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.

Blood centers across Texas are pleading with the rest of the country for help. As they reel from the aftermath of recent storms, many centers don’t have the needed blood and blood products for their hospitals.Versiti Blood Centers is hoping some of that help can come from Northwest Indiana and invites the public to blood drives scheduled from 7AM to 1PM on Tuesday, March 16 and 1 to 7PM on Wednesday, March 17 at Franciscan Health Michigan City.“It is a truly difficult situation for our counterparts down south,” said Dr. Dan Waxman, vice president of transfusion medicine and senior medical

On March 7th , 2021 at approximately 00:56 A.M. is when Sergeant Michael Oberle was working a special patrol called Violent Crime Reduction (VCR). Officers working this type of saturation patrol target areas of Michigan City for gun violence, offenses involving those individuals prohibited from possessing firearms, individuals possessing illegal firearms, those using firearms while committing a crime, “shots fired” calls for service, and narcotics eradication Sergeant Oberle was traveling west bound in the 300 block of East 11th Street when he observed a vehicle traveling towards him at a high rate of speed. He determined from his radar unit

Michigan City South Golf Course will be open for play beginning tomorrowMarch 9th at 9:00am.Groups can book a tee time at www.golfnow.com or via phone at (219) 873-1516.All greens fees will be paid upon arrival to the course. No walk-upplay will be allowed without a tee-time. Golf Carts will be availablefor use and carts will be disinfected after each use.The North Course will open May, 1st .The pre-season policy at Michigan City Golf Courses will be: The Clubhouse and restrooms will be open No food will be prepared but snacks will be available for purchase Golfers should not arrive more

The Indiana Department of Health announced Monday that 12,384 people have received a free COVID-19 vaccine at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including 4,169 who were vaccinated on Sunday. The clinic continues through Monday night. All appointments are booked.As of Monday, 1,113,856 first doses of vaccine have been administered in Indiana, and 703,808 individuals are fully vaccinated.Additional vaccination clinics are planned March 12-13 at Ivy Tech Community College in Sellersburg and March 26-27 at the University of Notre Dame. All appointments are full at Ivy Tech, but limited appointments remain at Notre Dame. A clinic also is being planned in Gary

Applications are now open for residents looking to improve their sidewalks, according to City of La Porte Engineer Nick Minich. The sidewalk repair program, which is a 50/50 matching grant, gives residents a chance to have sidewalks and curbs near their home repaired with up to $2,000 in assistance from the City. "Our engineering team has a long-term plan to remove all ADA deficiencies in City sidewalks, but this is going to take us some time to complete," Minich said. "Residents are also able to pay for sidewalk improvement projects themselves, but it can be costly. This program gives residents

In a unanimous decision, the Laporte County Democratic Party held a caucus to elect a new slate of officers to lead the party forward: Chairman Vidya Kora, Vice Chair Laura Cutler, Treasurer Linda Simmons, and Secretary Sean Quinn.Dr Kora, a former two term Laporte County Commissioner and local physician served as the chair of the LaPorte Country Democratic Party from 2000 to 2008 and stated, “I am happy and excited about working with this new team at the Laporte County Democratic Central Committee.” Laura Cutler, a local business owner in LaPorte for over 18 years, is in her 2nd term