News

Excitement was in the air as needles went into arms, marking the first of the COVID-19 vaccines delivered at Franciscan Health hospitals in Crown Point, Hammond and Michigan City on Friday morning.Physicians, nurses and support staff who have been on the front lines of the battle against the coronavirus pandemic during this past year were first in line to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the first approved by the Food and Drug Administration under an Emergency Use Authorization.Franciscan Health Michigan City Vice President of Clinical Support Services Jill Nygren said colleagues told her they couldn’t sleep last night, knowing that

– Northwest Health – La Porte and Northwest Health - Starke have announced their selections for Employees of the Year, honoring individuals who were nominated by their peers for their outstanding performance and exemplary service. “Selecting our Employees of the Year is always a challenge because we have a stellar workforce and numerous nominees, all worthy of consideration,” said Ashley Dickinson, Chief Executive Officer for Northwest Health - La Porte and Northwest Health - Starke. “Our four selections for this year each stood out in a special way. We’re fortunate to have them in the Northwest Health family.” The winners

With the staggering number of patients hospitalized and suffering from COVID-19 and surging numbers of those testing positive locally and throughout the nation, there is now more reason for hope. Franciscan Health hospitals in Crown Point, Hammond and Michigan City have received initial supplies of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and begin inoculations Friday, Dec. 18. They are among the sites designated to administer the medication to frontline healthcare workers. “This is a monumental moment for the healthcare industry. Protecting the people who have been on the very front lines is giving them one more tool to successfully wage this war

Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Inc. has received a $10M donation from writer and philanthropist, MacKenzie Scott. As a signatory of the Giving Pledge (developed by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates), Scott has committed to give the majority of her wealth to address society’s most pressing problems. Her team selected 384 non-profits from an exhaustive review of 6,490 organizations. “ We are honored and humbled to receive this generous gift. It will allow us to accelerate our vision to reach the neediest individuals in our communities, and further develop our employees at Goodwill. It will also provide the funds

Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, in partnership with the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, hosted a drive-through holiday giveaway of 400 turkeys to Gary residents today at the construction site of the new casino on the southwest corner of Interstate 80/94 and Burr Street in Gary. COVID protocols were top of mind at this morning’s event as staff members wore masks and practiced social distancing while distributing the turkeys. Recipients were asked to remain in their cars as volunteers from Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana and Food Bank of Northwest Indiana handed out the food in a drive-through set up

Due to continued COVID-19 impacts on South Shore Line commuters, the SSL announces that it will again be offering a “Buy 1 Get 1 Free” promotion for January monthly tickets. All monthly tickets purchased for the month of January 2021 will remain valid throughout February. Passengers purchasing a paper January monthly ticket should plan to keep that ticket and use it through February, and passengers purchasing a digital January monthly ticket via the mobile app will see a February ticket uploaded to their accounts prior to Feb. 1. For passengers who receive tickets through an employer benefit program such as Wage

Officers will be on the lookout for impaired and unbuckled motorists City of La Porte Police Department announced today it will be increasing patrols during the holiday season, as part of the winter Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over national enforcement mobilization.Now until Jan. 1, officers will be showing zero tolerance for impaired drivers, whether it’s alcohol or drugs, and will be on the lookout for unbuckled motorists. The patrols are funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through an Indiana Criminal Justice Institute grant. “Holiday celebrations may look different this year due to the pandemic, but precautions

As winter approaches, healthcare workers at Franciscan Health Michigan City will be able to keep their heads warm, thanks to a gift from 1st Source Bank. Franciscan Health Michigan City used a $5,000 gift from 1st Source Bank’s Foundation to thank frontline workers for their efforts during the pandemic, purchasing a winter stocking “Health Hero” cap for each employee. A letter from the 1st Source Bank Foundation presenting the gift said it was a way to thank Franciscan Health colleagues for “your extraordinary service during this coronavirus pandemic.”

Unity Foundation has three grant programs for Michigan City school teachers established by caring donors who believed in teachers as the critical factor for learning.These three funds have invested in more than 1,000 educators with $370,000 for projects of their own design, since the mid 1990’s. In light of the pandemic, the application deadline for each has been extended to Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. Teachers are invited to complete a brief application at uflc.net/grants/teacher-grants for projects during the 2020-2021 academic year.These small grants of $350- $400, aim to support teachers as they find innovative ways to make learning possible for

The Indiana Supreme Court handed down an Order Suspending Jury Trials statewide until March 1, 2021, citing the need for drastic measures as COVID-19 continues to surge. In-person jury trials pose an exceptional risk to everyone involved—even if every precaution is taken.“We have hope that 2021 will bring improved conditions. But hoping is not enough. There is more we must do, and we must act now,” Chief Justice Loretta Rush said about the Court’s latest action to address the pandemic. “Since March, we have been balancing the requirement to keep courts open with the need for public health. The worsening pandemic creates

The Indiana Department of Health announced today that the first doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to frontline healthcare workers in Indiana, after the state’s first allotment of vaccine arrived Monday morning. The first doses were administered to a physician, nurse, respiratory therapist, pharmacist, patient care tech and environmental services tech at Parkview Health in Fort Wayne shortly after noon today. Parkview and Clark Memorial Hospital in Jeffersonville both received initial doses of vaccine Monday morning. The two are among the five pilot hospitals slated to receive vaccine first. Additional vaccine is expected to arrive at Deaconess Hospital in

This international recognition program was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family. In late 1999, Patrick died at the age of 33 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon autoimmune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique way of thanking those professionals for making a profound difference in the lives of patients and their families. Patients, families and employees are able to nominate nurses from any Northwest Health hospital, urgent care, occupational medicine clinic or Northwest Health Medical Group

As cases of COVID-19 surge, convalescent plasma can provide a vital lifeline to help critically ill patients fight off the virus. That’s why Franciscan Health is joining with Versiti Blood Centers in seeking donations of blood plasma from people who have already recovered from the virus. “Convalescent plasma has been used since the 1800s to help people infected with different viruses and bacteria. The idea behind convalescent plasma is that if we take the antibodies from a patient who has recovered from an infection, and give them to a patient who is sick from that same infection, those antibodies may

Winter will not stand in the way of fixing potholes as it has in years past, according to La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody.  The City of La Porte Street Department, under the leadership of Superintendent Mike Fraze, recently purchased a new storage total tank, which uses technology to heat the oil and tar used to fill potholes. Dermody said this heating process will allow the department to fix roads well into the winter months. "It's no secret that the snow and cold temperatures wreak havoc on our city streets," Dermody said. "In previous years, once the weather was too cold,

Congratulations to the Portage Indians on their Championship win in Florida. We are so proud of you. Thank you Derrick Wayne Arnett, coaches, crew, families and all of this along the way that made this team effort possible."These 21 boys from Northern Indiana got together back in August. When they got together they set a goal to dominate their season and get to Florida and beat the best in the country. Well well well... They started out the pre season with dominating wins over Missouri, Central Indiana, and Ohio. They continued through the regular season dominating every team in Northern

Michigan City High School Student Council is spearheading a “drive-through” collection of nonperishable food items on Saturday, December 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon at Ames Field. All items collected will be donated to the food pantry at the The Salvation Army Michigan City Corps and Community Center.Each December, the high school – along with Michigan City Area Schools elementary and middle schools – has participated in a districtwide food drive that benefits the Salvation Army. For several years running, the drive has generated more than 2 tons of canned goods and other nonperishable items for those in need.In

After reviewing an extensive investigative report submitted by the Indiana State Police District 13 Criminal Investigations Division, the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges against two unlicensed security guards and the Lakes of the Four Seasons Property Owner’s Association for impersonation of law enforcement, level 6 felonies. This is the culmination of a two-year investigation into the Lakes of the Four Seasons public safety department, in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Indiana Attorney General’s Office.In September 2018, INDOT revoked the emergency vehicle authorization from the LOFS POA for operating vehicles with prohibited lighting combination of

On December 12th at 10AM, the La Porte County Sheriff's Office will host the 57th Annual Children’s Christmas Show. The event, normally held at a LaPorte Community School Corporation Building, will take place this year outside the Sheriff’s Office Training Building located within the La Porte County Fairgrounds. This year’s even will be drive-thru style only. Tickets have already been distributed to those who were identified as in need to insure those children receive gifts. Each child will receive gifts as they pass by the Training Building. Santa, Mrs. Claus, Sheriff John T. Boyd and several deputies will be present

The Utility Billing Office in La Porte City Hall will be closed until further notice following a positive COVID-19 case. Employees are being sent for testing, resulting in office closure until personnel can return. Clerk Clerk-Treasurer Courtney Parthun said this means the drive thru will be closed and phones will be forwarded to voicemail for the time being. However, Parthun said residents can still call and email their questions, and make payments online, through the mail or by using the dropbox in front of City Hall. December utility payments are still due Dec. 28. Residents with questions can contact the

Valparaiso Police are investigating the theft of a tip jar, containing an unknown amount of funds, from the Valparaiso Dunkin Donuts, located at 1651 Morthland Dr. The theft occurred on November 18th, at approximately 9:00 p.m.  The male subject in the photographs posted to the Valparaiso Police Facebook page, removed the jar from the side of the drive-thru area and walked away.  It is believed he walked to a dark colored Jeep Liberty that was parked nearby and can be seen in the far-right hand corner of the last photo (past the dumpsters). If you have information regarding the subjects