News

LAPORTE, IN – Crichfield Elementary School officially unveiled its new inclusive playgrounds Thursday during a special ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the completion of a collaborative community project designed to enhance student learning through play. "Play is our brain's favorite way of learning," said Principal Tearsa Schable, quoting acclaimed author Diane Ackerman as she welcomed attendees to the ceremony. The project represents a successful partnership between the Health Foundation of La Porte (HFL), Crichfield PTO, and La Porte Community School maintenance and administration teams. The new playgrounds were designed with inclusivity in mind, creating safe and engaging spaces where all students can

SOUTH BEND – Jade Price, 29 years old, of Winfield, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to wire fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. Price was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay $80,355.18 in restitution to the Small Business Administration. According to documents in the case, Price falsely claimed gross income for a business when she applied for four Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The PPP program provided loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses as part the CARES Act and

On September 3, 2025, officers from the Michigan City Police Department Patrol Division responded to reports of a shooting in the 1300 block of Franklin Street. Upon arrival, officers discovered 23-year-old Michigan City resident, Jacob Addison, who had been shot and would later succumb to his injuries. The matter of death would be ruled a Homicide.   The MCPD Detective Bureau responded and immediately began an extensive investigation. Over the following weeks, detectives worked diligently to develop leads and quickly identified a suspect in the case.   In the early morning hours of September 26, 2025, members of the MCPD

The Michigan City Police Department invites you to support K9 Freya, their beloved Search & Rescue Comfort Dog, at the 5K Run or 2-Mile Walk on Sunday, October 12th at Hawthorn Park. Enjoy a day filled with family-friendly activities: 5K Run or 2-Mile Walk Silent Auction, Free Giveaways & Vendors Food Trucks K9 Demonstrations All proceeds go to support MCPD K9 Freya and her vital mission as a Search and Rescue K9. Scan the QR code on the flyer or click the link below for details and registration: https://raceroster.com/.../running-with-the-big-dogs-5k... "Come run, walk, and celebrate with us—every step helps support Freya’s

The Chesterton Branding and Leadership Corporation (CBLC) announced the designation of the new Chesterton Trackside Arts & Cultural District, the Town of Chesterton announced on their Facebook page this past Friday. According to the post from the Town of Chesterton, at its meeting Monday night, Sept. 22, the Chesterton Town Council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution designating and naming the new arts and cultural district, which "encompasses the creative and artistic businesses, fine dining, retail, and parks in the Town of Chesterton’s thriving historic Downtown." The Chesterton Trackside Arts & Cultural District also overlays the Chesterton Historical Commercial District,

In Lake County, there will be overnight closures on I-94 at U.S. 6/State Road 51 beginning on or after Monday, Sept. 29. The inside lanes of I-94 will be closed in each direction between Clay St and the Indiana Toll Road during the overnight hours of 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. as needed through mid-October. A crane will be constructed in the median work zone the first evening, and then overnight lane closures will occur as needed to move the crane within the work area. These restrictions are for pile driving activities. Additional impacts to traffic are planned as bridge

The Chesterton Police Department announced on Thursday that after 31 years of dedicated service, Sgt. Copollo worked her final shift with the department. WIMS congratulates Sergeant Copollo on her retirement.

Valparaiso, IN – Ivy Tech Community College Department of Communication is launching new Communication Across the Disciplines Speaker Series to celebrate the foundational power of communication skills across different professional disciplines and in personal areas of everyday living. Monday, September 29, 2025 from 2-3 p.m. CT at the Valparaiso Campus Auditorium, the Department of Communication will kick start the speaker series by welcoming Dr. Kim Scipes to discuss Global Communication best practices with attendees. Kim Scipes, PhD, serves as Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Purdue University Northwest in Westville, Indiana. He has published four books and over 280 articles and

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) board of directors approved 17 projects yesterday that represent the first $131 million investment from the $250 million Lilly Endowment Inc. award to support READI projects that will enhance efforts to improve quality of place and life in communities across Indiana. These projects will transform vacant and blighted properties into productive assets—housing, commercial districts, community hubs—while leveraging private and local investment through the state’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI 2.0). Together, they unlock more than $1.6 billion in total investment across 12 regions. Projects were selected based on their potential for economic

LA PORTE COUNTY, Ind. - Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Dunnet Bay Construction Company will conduct overnight lane closures on I-94 between U.S. 421 and U.S. 20/35 beginning on or after Monday, September 29. Lane closures will take place during the overnight hours of 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. for two evenings to switch traffic into the next work zone configuration. Lane closures will be on I-94 eastbound the first night and I-94 westbound the second night. Once complete, traffic will have two lanes shifted to the right in each direction with the work zone on the left. Construction work

Press Release by Superior Court IV: VALPARAISO – After much deliberation, the six (6) Porter County elected Judges have selected Attorney Karin Brown as Title IV-D Commissioner to replace Commissioner Lisa Moser who served Porter County in that role for almost 13 years. The Title IV-D Commissioner is a Porter County judicial officer handling all aspects of Title IV-D cases, including paternity establishment, child support order enforcement, and modifications. In her new role, Commissioner Brown will conduct hearings as a judicial officer serving at the pleasure of the elected judges, determine child support and calculate arrearages, and issue legal orders

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office announces the arrests of two New York City men along I-80/90 earlier this week. Highway Interdiction Deputies initiated two traffic stops on Tuesday (9/23) hours apart from each other on the same vehicle with both stops producing an arrest. Shortly after 11:00 AM, a deputy was monitoring westbound traffic along I-80/90. A sport utility vehicle (blue Kia Telluride) traveling in the passing lane passed a deputy and left the lane of travel. The SUV traveled left of the yellow fog line and onto the rumble strip for several hundred feet. A traffic stop was

La Porte County Sheriff's Office Deputies Wells and Sikorski were recognized last week in Indianapolis at the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute 2025 Traffic Safety All-Pro Awards Ceremony, according to the department's Facebook page. The annual ceremony recognizes those who make a significant impact by removing impaired drivers from roadways to increase traffic safety. To qualify for a Traffic Safety All-Pro Award, one must have generated at least 25  OWI arrests in 2024.

Unity Foundation President Maggi Spartz Honored with State Award and Permanent Park Dedication  LA PORTE COUNTY, IN— More than 200 community members gathered Wednesday night to honor Maggi Spartz, founding President of Unity Foundation of La Porte County, for her more than three decades of leadership and impact. The evening included multiple tributes, culminating in the presentation of the prestigious Circle of Corydon Award and the announcement of a permanent dedication in her name at Unity Park. Spartz, who has served as Unity’s president since its inception in 1992, will retire later this year. Under her leadership, Unity Foundation has

Health Foundation of La Porte (HFL) is excited to announce its second round of 2025 grants awarded. In this round, HFL has awarded 43 grants totaling $2,310,943, which brings HFL’s total investment in the community since 2017 to more than $50M! “Since our first grants in November 2017, we have had the privilege of collaborating with dedicated partners throughout La Porte County working to make this a healthier place to live,” said Eric DeWald, HFL President & CEO. “We are so grateful to all of our nonprofit and governmental partners working together on the community conditions that affect our health.

Officer Rachel Davis of the Michigan City Police Department was recently recognized in Indianapolis at the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute 2025 Traffic Safety All-Pro Awards Ceremony. The annual ceremony recognizes those who make a significant impact by removing impaired drivers from roadways to increase traffic safety.

Burns Harbor- On September 24, 2025, Timothy John Olson, 36, of Burns Harbor, was arrested as a result of an extensive and collaborative investigation which began in Illinois in 2024. The Lake County (Illinois) State’s Attorney’s Office began an investigation after receiving multiple Cyber Tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) related to the activities of several Kik Messenger accounts. Multiple search warrants and subpoenas were issued as the investigation progressed.  The investigation revealed that the suspect was residing in Burns Harbor, Indiana, and the case was transferred to the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Unit.

Check out the Commercial and Real Estate Breakfast on Wednesday October 8th , 2025 from 7:30a-9a at Uptown Social in Michigan City.  For more information see attached flyer or check out edcmc.com.

MICHIGAN CITY, Indiana – On September 23, 2025, Michigan City experienced a disruption to our computer network. As soon as we became aware of the disruption, we took immediate action to secure our systems, which included taking parts of our network offline out of an abundance of caution. We partnered with network specialists to bring our network back online quickly and securely, and also to conduct an investigation into the nature and scope of the disruption. The Police Department and Central Services are operating and emergency dispatch is not impacted. At this time, the investigation is still in its very

Press Release by NiSource: With IURC approval, the structure unlocks energy solutions tailored for the data center boom while protecting existing customers, enabling growth and securing long-term value. MERRILLVILLE, Ind. – NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) has received Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission’s (IURC) approval for its NIPSCO Generation LLC (GenCo) declination petition. GenCo is designed to own, build and manage generation assets to serve the growing data center industry in Northern Indiana. This approval marks a pivotal moment for our company and the region, unlocking GenCo’s ability to protect existing NIPSCO retail customers and best serve data center and other large