News

Porter County Government is accepting applications for the position of Part-Time Switchboard Operator/Mail Clerk. The part-time position is available at the Porter County Administration Center to relieve and assist the main switchboard. Hours are 8:30 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Thursday, and 9:30 to 3:30 on Friday (29 hours per week). The hourly rate starts at $12 per hour (no benefits are included). Email resume and completed job application form available online at: www.porterco.org/jobs to ryoung@porterco.org . OR applications may be dropped off at the Porter County Board of Commissioners’ Office or at the front desk, 155 Indiana Ave., Valparaiso, IN 46383. Applications

On July 1, reserved hunt application periods opened for dove, waterfowl, deer and pheasant. The application period for dove will close July 29, and the application period for deer will close Aug. 26. Waterfowl and pheasant application periods will close on Sept. 16. You can only apply for these hunts online. To get started with an application, go to on.IN.gov/reservedhunt and click on “Apply for a reserved hunt.” Only one application per hunt is allowed, and no changes can be made once an application is submitted. Applicants must possess a hunting license valid for the hunt for which they are

INDOT announced that Indianapolis Boulevard (U.S. 12/20) has reopened in East Chicago from Columbus Avenue through the lift bridge over Lake George Canal. This will remain an active work zone as crews work to finish the road portion of the project just south of the bridge. Traffic will be maintained one lane in each direction through the corridor, except when workers are present, when flagging operations could be in place, directing one lane of traffic through the work zone. Motorists could experience congestion and delays, particularly during work hours, so it’s advisable to avoid the area if at all possible.

Early Sunday morning, the South Bend Police Department (SBPD) received several calls reporting gunshots fired in the 300 block of North Niles Ave., near Corby’s Pub. Officers also were in the vicinity when the incident occurred and immediately responded. Officers located one male adult victim deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. Officers also observed a vehicle driving erratically, northbound on Niles Ave. A traffic stop was initiated on this vehicle near Howard St. and Niles Ave. An additional gunshot wound victim was found to be a passenger in this vehicle. This individual was transported to an area hospital. A third

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating an incident where an unresponsive 1 year old was pulled from Lake of the Woods in Marshall County. The child was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center and is listed in critical condition. On Saturday night at approximately 8:09 p.m., responders were dispatched to the 4100 block of Lake Shore Drive near the town of Bremen. Initial reports were that a young child was pulled from the lake and was unresponsive. Results of an initial investigation were that family members were ending a birthday party when they noticed a back door to the home open

A 25 year old man is in critical condition after he nearly drowned in Lake Michigan on Saturday night. Around 8:30 p.m., the Indiana Department of Natural Resources said that Christian Rosete of Michigan City was swimming with family near Washington Park Beach when waves overcame him and he did not resurface. First responders and good Samaritans rescued Rosete from the water. He was then taken to the hospital. When the incident happened, the DNR reported that it was "red flag" swimming conditions, meaning no one was allowed to be in the lake. Indiana Conservation Officers are conducting an investigation.

Indiana’s unemployment rate drops to 3.5 percent for June and remains lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent. Indiana’s labor force had a net decrease of 10,126 over the previous month. This was a result of a decrease of 3,123 unemployed residents and a decrease of 7,003 employed residents. Indiana's total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3.39 million, and the state’s 64.8 percent labor force participation rate remains above the national rate of 62.9 percent. In addition, regular unemployment insurance claims in the reference week (12th of the month) continue to

Robert Milos has a mission to ensure great minds in Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) esteemed College of Nursing can fulfill the dream of earning a college degree despite a temporary financial setback.The newly established Robert Winston Milos Endowment supports nursing students who are in good academic standing and exhibit sudden emergency financial uncertainty that may delay or interrupt their academic pursuits. Milos made an initial $50,000 gift, and hopes others will be inspired to contribute and grow the fund. For students facing hardships the difficulty can be catching up, which is why the endowment will provide emergency resources discreetly and

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announces that State Road 331 (Capital Avenue) will close Monday at the bridge over the St. Joseph River while crews pour concrete as part of a bridge reconstruction project.The closure will begin at approximately midnight EST, with the road anticipated to reopen by late afternoon the same day. The road will be closed between State Road 933 (Lincolnway E.) and Jefferson Street.This is the final planned closure for this two-year project, with the bridge anticipated to fully reopen by late August. 

The percentage of students graduating from Indiana public colleges is increasing, and more students are graduating on time.This is according to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education’s latest College Completion Report.More than 40 percent of all Indiana public college students graduate on-time, or within four years for a bachelor’s degree and two years for an associate degree, according to the report.On-time graduation increased by almost 13 percentage points between 2013 and 2018 and by more than two percentage points in a one-year period (2017 to 2018).Extended-time graduation – within six years for any degree type – also is rising. Nearly

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor will host Indiana’s first Navy vessel commissioning ceremony for the new littoral combat ship USS Indianapolis on Oct. 26. Anyone interested in attending the USS Indianapolis’ commissioning can find more information online at https://ussindianapolislcs17.org .

Due to the extreme heat for the next several days, the trains in the Railway Garden may not be running during normal hours of operation (10am-5pm). Please call 219-462-0025 prior to your visit to find out the status of the train operation for the day. Please be cautious if participating in any outdoor activities this weekend.

In a story line that has become familiar over recent months, Attorney General Curtis Hill recently resolved two additional cases in which promotional firms sent allegedly deceptive mailings to Hoosiers indicating recipients were winners of significant prizes. Xcel Media Group Inc. contracted with several Indiana motor vehicle dealers to conduct direct mail advertising for sales events. The company allegedly sent mailings to 254,640 Indiana residents indicating that recipients were winners of significant prizes. Dealer Direct Service LLC and its owner, David Billman, also contracted with Indiana motor vehicle dealers to conduct direct mail advertising for sales events.The company allegedly sent

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) State Director for Indiana Michael Dora Thursday encouraged farmers, rural small businesses and agricultural producers to apply for financing in a key USDA program that provides loan guarantees to help rural small businesses lower their energy costs. USDA accepts applications for REAP funding year-round. Potential applicants can contact Robert Hill, Business Programs Director at r.hill@usda.gov or (317) 295-5780 for additional information. REAP funding can be used for renewable energy systems such as anaerobic digesters, biomass, geothermal, hydropower, wind and solar. It also can be used to make energy efficiency improvements to heating, ventilation and

The Kankakee River Basin and Yellow River Basin Development Commission, the panel newly tasked with coordinating river stewardship for eight Northwest Indiana counties, convened for the first time yesterday.  The Indiana General Assembly created the Commission earlier this year to succeed the Kankakee River Basin Commission (KRBC), which served the region for over four decades. Following record flooding in 2018, the Indiana legislature responded by empowering a streamlined commission with long-term funding for flood control, erosion mitigation, and economic and natural resource development.  The Kankakee and Yellow River Basins are home to some of the world’s most productive farmland, historic

Robert Milos has a mission to ensure great minds in Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) esteemed College of Nursing can fulfill the dream of earning a college degree despite a temporary financial setback.The newly established Robert Winston Milos Endowment supports nursing students who are in good academic standing and exhibit sudden emergency financial uncertainty that may delay or interrupt their academic pursuits. Milos made an initial $50,000 gift, and hopes others will be inspired to contribute and grow the fund. For students facing hardships the difficulty can be catching up, which is why the endowment will provide emergency resources discreetly and

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announces that State Road 331 (Capital Avenue) will close Monday at the bridge over the St. Joseph River while crews pour concrete as part of a bridge reconstruction project.The closure will begin at approximately midnight EST, with the road anticipated to reopen by late afternoon the same day. The road will be closed between State Road 933 (Lincolnway E.) and Jefferson Street.This is the final planned closure for this two-year project, with the bridge anticipated to fully reopen by late August. 

The percentage of students graduating from Indiana public colleges is increasing, and more students are graduating on time.This is according to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education’s latest College Completion Report.More than 40 percent of all Indiana public college students graduate on-time, or within four years for a bachelor’s degree and two years for an associate degree, according to the report.On-time graduation increased by almost 13 percentage points between 2013 and 2018 and by more than two percentage points in a one-year period (2017 to 2018).Extended-time graduation – within six years for any degree type – also is rising. Nearly

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor will host Indiana’s first Navy vessel commissioning ceremony for the new littoral combat ship USS Indianapolis on Oct. 26. Anyone interested in attending the USS Indianapolis’ commissioning can find more information online at https://ussindianapolislcs17.org .

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) State Director for Indiana Michael Dora Thursday encouraged farmers, rural small businesses and agricultural producers to apply for financing in a key USDA program that provides loan guarantees to help rural small businesses lower their energy costs. USDA accepts applications for REAP funding year-round. Potential applicants can contact Robert Hill, Business Programs Director at r.hill@usda.gov or (317) 295-5780 for additional information.REAP funding can be used for renewable energy systems such as anaerobic digesters, biomass, geothermal, hydropower, wind and solar. It also can be used to make energy efficiency improvements to heating, ventilation and cooling systems; insulation;