News

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.  That’s the important reminder coming from the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) with two of the heaviest drinking events of the year around the corner:  St. Patrick’s Day and the NCAA tournament. All throughout March, deputies will be conducting overtime patrols and sobriety checkpoints to prevent dangerous and impaired driving. This is part of a statewide enforcement campaign, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI). Impaired driving isn’t the only risk on the road in March, according to ICJI.  Dangerous driving, which includes factors such

Swanson Center, the community mental health center for LaPorte County, announces the appointment of Robin Moore, LCSW, CADC, as the manager for the Passages Addictions Services Program.  With more than 20 years of experience in mental health and addictions counseling for individuals and groups, along with administrative and supervisory experience, Moore looks forward to helping patients with the help they need to overcome problems related substance abuse or dependency.  She will work out of the Michigan City office. “I joined the staff Swanson Center because I believe in their mission:  to improve lives, one person at a time.  I also

State Representative Pat Boy (D-Michigan City) and State Representative Mara Candelaria Reardon (D-Munster) issued statements in response to Governor Holcomb’s Executive Order regarding the crisis Hoosiers are facing along Lake Michigan’s shoreline: “The erosion along the Lake Michigan shoreline cannot be stopped by the passage of legislation or endless months of debate,” said Boy. “This is an issue that demands swift, hands-on action. That is why I sent a letter to the governor two months ago calling for him to issue a Declaration of Emergency for communities along the lakeshore in Porter and LaPorte counties. Due to record-high water levels

As the 2020 Indiana legislative session moves towards ending, environmental groups are closely watching a bill about deregulating wetlands. After passing in the Senate, S-B 299 is in the hands of the House Committee on Local Government. The measure would exempt drain reconstruction from Indiana's wetland regulation. Indra Frank with the Hoosier Environmental Council says that means county surveyors could adjust the size, depth or route of regulated drains without permits or state oversight. According to the bill text, more than two-thousand permits have been processed for the more than one-thousand regulated drains in the state since 2015. Frank says

The new Recovery Center in LaPorte will provide outpatient medication-assisted treatment for those with opioid use disorders, focusing on the methadone delivery model.  The Recovery Center will be run by Porter-Starke Services and is co-located with Swanson Center’s outpatient office at 1230 W State Rd 2 in LaPorte. Matt Burden, President/CEO of Porter-Starke Services, provided an overview on the state-identified need for an Opioid Treatment Program in LaPorte, the timeline of the project, and how they were able to overcome some of the initial hurdles of the project, particularly on funding. “Without the generous grant support of the Healthcare Foundation

PNW dean, faculty member named Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs  Purdue University Northwest (PNW) today announced Kenneth (Chris) Holford will become the university’s next Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, effective May 11. Holford was selected through a nationwide search that began last fall. The current dean of the PNW College of Engineering and Sciences and a professor of Biology, Holford has served the Purdue Northwest campuses for more than 18 years. “I continue to be proud of my service to Purdue Northwest, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to take on this broader leadership

Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced he signed an executive order directing state agencies to pursue collection of damage information that could lead to a declaration of disaster emergency along the Lake Michigan shoreline. He also outlined steps state agencies will take to provide assistance along the shoreline. The executive order is attached. Gov. Holcomb surveyed the Lake Michigan shoreline via Indiana State Police helicopter on Sunday and observed conditions along the entire shoreline including Beverly Shores, Ogden Dunes, Portage and Long Beach. “Our administration has been monitoring the erosion along the Lake Michigan shoreline but I wanted to see the

Krueger Middle School students are learning that it pays to recycle. In 2019, the school won a $10,000 prize from PepsiCo Recycle Rally, after ranking ninth in the nation in the PepsiCo Recycle Rally challenge. This school year, Krueger is on track to win another big prize – and they are asking for more help from the community to make it happen. Environmental Science teacher Daisy Lee, who spearheads the project for Krueger says she is hoping more businesses and organizations will partner with them to help collect and weigh bottles and cans for the challenge. She says individuals can

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is now accepting applications for the position of Merit Deputy. Applicants who successfully complete and pass the various stages of the hiring process will be ranked on a list for any future vacancies that may arise within the Merit Division of the Sheriff’s Office. The hiring process will include the following stages: application phase, physical agility testing, written examination, computerized voice stress analysis examination, background investigation, Merit Division interview panel and a Merit Commission interview. Applications can be found online by accessing the Sheriff’s Office website: www.laportecountysheriff.com or by picking them up at the front desk

Wednesday morning at approximately 9:50 a.m., Trooper Nathan Wolfe was dispatched to a single vehicle crash on I-80/94 at the 17.4 mile-marker.  This location is approximately 2 miles east of Ripley St.  Preliminary investigation by Trooper Wolfe shows that a 2011 Freightliner was eastbound, traveling in the center lane, when an object struck the windshield of the truck.  The object appeared to have penetrated the windshield which resulted in the glass shattering.  The driver suffered serious injuries that resulted in him having to be flown to Chicago from the scene for treatment.  The driver of the vehicle was identified as

On Monday February 17th, 2020 at approximately 11:00pm, several units with the Michigan City Police Department were dispatched to a residence on Julianna Dr. after a report of a subject shot multiple times. Upon arrival, a 28-year-old male subject was located with several non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. This same subject was transported to Franciscan St. Anthony Hospital where he was treated for his injuries. The Michigan City Police Department’s Investigative Division and the La Porte County Drug Task Force were called in to process the scene which contained a substantial amount of illegal drugs, US currency and firearms.The investigation is ongoing

The South Central Education Foundation is holding it's annual Scholarship Raffle. One winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship. A maximum of 250 tickets are sold. If you are interested in a $20 ticket for a chance to win, print out the attached form on South Central High School’s Facebook page and return it to the high school office by February 28th. Forms are also available in the office.

On Monday at around 2:30 p.m., A Valparaiso Police Officer assigned to the Porter County Highway Interdiction Team, initiated a traffic stop along the Indiana State Toll Road for multiple infractions. During the investigation, the driver of the vehicle admitted to having a “personal use” amount of marijuana with him in the vehicle. The officer further noted several indicators of marijuana possession or consumption within the vehicle. As the officer prepared to recover the illegal material, and conduct a legal search of the vehicle, the driver admitted to having large quantities of marijuana contained in luggage in the rear vehicle

After nearly a century of operation, a popular amusement park has closed its gates for good. The owners of Indiana Beach in Monticello were unsuccessful in finding buyers for the property. The park has been owned by Apex Parks Group since 2015. The closure was reportedly for financial reasons and Apex Parks also closed three additional amusement parks. Indiana Beach still has nearly 30 employees, though it is uncertain what the future will hold for those jobs.

Teachers, administrators, and program partners from all over the state were honored in Indianapolis yesterday with the IACTD Award of Excellence for CTE partnerships.Representing Michigan City Area Schools, the Compressed Air Academy of AK Smith Career Center received an Indiana Award of Excellence Partnership Award from the Indiana Association of Career and Technical Education Districts and Governor's Workforce Cabinet.  Check out WIMS FACEBOOK page for complete story and pictures

NIPSCO is accepting applications for its environmental action grant to support local nonprofit organizations with environmental initiatives. In its fifth year, NIPSCO’s Environmental Action Grant aims to provide funding for restoration and education projects throughout northern Indiana. Prior-year funding recipients included environmental groups, community groups, schools and other nonprofit organizations. In 2019, the NIPSCO Environmental Action Grant funded 15 projects with a total of $50,000. Projects included habitat, shoreline, pond and wetland restoration; outdoor and environmental education; native seed planting; and more. Grants are available in the amount of $500 to $5,000 for organizations seeking funds for environmental restoration projects

Yesterday just before 9 AM, deputies were summoned to the 2100 north block of Wozniak Road, in Coolspring Township, for a motor vehicle crash. Deputies arrived and located a passenger vehicle off the east side of Wozniak Road, south of Orchard Drive. The crash investigation determined that a 2015 Nissan had been traveling south on Wozniak Road. For an unknown reason, the vehicle drove left of center and across the northbound lane, left the traveled portion of the roadway and struck a NIPSCO utility pole, before coming to rest. The driver was identified as 53 year old Michael A. Toth

SR 2 is scheduled to close Friday in Porter County, between CR S 275 W and CR S 300 W in Valparaiso for utility relocation ahead of an upcoming construction project. The road is anticipated to be closed for approximately two weeks.

IN CELEBRATION OF DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH Mom Asking for MC to Vote for Her Daughter in the Great Bike Giveaway  In celebration of DisAbility Awareness month, next month, Joanne Tedesco, past Michigan City Human Rights Commissioner with a focus on the disability community, School Board Member and disability advocate, is reaching back to her roots in Michigan City, asking for community  support/votes.  She’s entered the Great Bike Giveaway, an annual program hosted by Friendship Circle, a non-profit organization that provides children with special needs the opportunity to win an adaptive bike.  To date, over 1,000 adaptive bikes have been given to individuals with

The Purdue University Northwest Pride announced the addition of Esports as PNW’s 14th varsity athletic program. Esports – a competitive, organized, and multiplayer online video game competition – is among the world’s fastest growing sport at the collegiate level. In fall 2020, PNW will be the first public university in Indiana to offer Esports at the varsity level.