News

The Senate Public Policy Committee heard Sen. Bohacek’s SB 12 on bias motivated crimes.  The bill makes it an aggravating circumstance (for purposes of imposing a criminal sentence) that a crime was committed with the intent to harm or intimidate an individual or a group of individuals because of certain perceived or actual characteristics of the individual or group of individuals. The bill also requires law enforcement agencies to report bias motivated crimes to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.The committee amended the bill to remove the following categories: political affiliation, status as a public safety official, status as a relative

The Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce will host the State of the City at the La Porte Civic Auditorium, located at 1001 Ridge Street in La Porte, on March 8th. The Premier sponsor of this event is La Porte Hospital.The event will feature the State of the City Address by Mayor Mark Krentz. When asked what to expect from the Address, Mayor Krentz said, “celebrating the community, recognizing areas of progress and accomplishments while highlighting continued focus on safety, infrastructure improvements, growth and prosperity.” Registration will begin at 11:00 a.m. with lunch starting at 11:30 a.m. This year's event

U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) on Friday announced that the President has signed the National FFA Organization's Federal Charter Amendments Act into law. This bill will update and modernize the charter for the Future Farmers of America (FFA) to better reflect agriculture education in the 21st Century. The National FFA Organization's Federal Charter Amendments Act updates the FFA’s charter to allow for regional diversity among student officer vice presidents. Additionally, the legislation provides governing flexibility for national officers in order to reduce operational delays caused by vacant seats. The amendments to the charter will better align FFA's purpose with the

As temperatures rise, and winter ice and snow recede from the roads, Hoosier drivers are tempted to increase their speeds and take more risks behind the wheel. The La Porte Police Department and about 230 law-enforcement agencies across Indiana are warning drivers of increased patrols this March for aggressive driving violations. Overtime traffic enforcement is funded through National Highway Traffic Safety Administration grants administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI). Failing to yield the right of way is one of the top causes of crashes that lead to injuries and deaths. Following too closely and unsafe lane movement violations

Victory laps are more commonly associated with another sports venue in Indianapolis, but Bankers Life Fieldhouse did the trick on Saturday. Behind Sophia Nolan's second 26-point, 15-rebound opus in as many games, Marquette soared to a 57-36 victory over Rivet to clinch its second consecutive Class A state title. The win capped off a dominant four-year run highlighted by a 99-13 record that included four sectional titles, two regional crowns, and two state championships.Sophia and Emma Nolan, who finished with 12 points, six boards, and three assists herself, leaned on the high-low for the first two baskets of the day while

Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced Friday the launch of the Next Level Broadband program, which will dedicate $100 million to bridge the digital divide in rural areas of the state.Gov. Holcomb has asked Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, along with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, to oversee the application program. The Indiana Department of Transportation will administer grant funding and provide technical support.For the initial round of funding, broadband providers can apply for up to $5 million to expand service to unserved areas if they provide at least a 20 percent match. Unserved areas are without at least

The Senate Judiciary Committee heard Sen. Bohacek’s SB 422 on habitability standards.  The bill allows a tenant to terminate a rental agreement if the landlord fails to deliver the rental premises under certain conditions and requires the landlord to return to the tenant any amounts previously paid to the landlord; requires notice to a tenant regarding lease termination to include a statement about failure to pay fees; and provides that notice is not required to terminate a formal or informal lease in certain situations. At the hearing on February 20, the committee amended the bill to change “or fees” to

A slight chance of rain, snow, and freezing rain before 9am, then a slight chance of snow between 9am and noon. Cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 26 by 5pm. Very windy, with a west wind 30 to 40 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. 

-Friday 3/1/19 FISH FRY-ALL YOU CAN EAT  from 5-8PM at American Legion Post #21 on Highway 421 in Westville. Dinner includes: HAND BREADED POLLOCK, chicken strips, french fries, creamy coleslaw, salad, rolls and FREE HOMEMADE DESSERTS.  Special veterans and senior pricing: Adults-$9.00, Seniors(60yrs+) & Vets-$8.00, Kids 12 & under-$5.00, Preschoolers-Free. Carry-outs available. -CASH BINGO at American Legion Post #21, 107 N. Flynn Road (Hwy 421) in Westville. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the games begin at 6 p.m..  The $20 entry includes cards for all the regular games; special games sold separately. There is an 80% payout on all

Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced Friday the launch of the Next Level Broadband program, which will dedicate $100 million to bridge the digital divide in rural areas of the state.Gov. Holcomb has asked Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, along with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, to oversee the application program. The Indiana Department of Transportation will administer grant funding and provide technical support.For the initial round of funding, broadband providers can apply for up to $5 million to expand service to unserved areas if they provide at least a 20 percent match. Unserved areas are without at least

In partnership with the College Board and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE), the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced on Thursday another year of increases in the number of Advanced Placement (AP) exams offered, taken, and passed. For the 2017-2018 school year, Indiana reported the following increases:For the 2018 graduating class, 25,892 Indiana public school students took an AP exam, compared to 24,659 in the class of 2017.Since 2008, the percentage of Indiana public school graduates taking an AP exam during high school increased from 20.0 percent to 38.9 percent.In the past 10 years, the number of Indiana

Members of the La Porte County Fugitive Apprehension Street Team (FAST), along with the U.S. Marshal Service, announce the arrest of last week’s wanted felon, Cordaroll D. Hicks. On Tuesday, just four days after the announcement that Hicks was being sought, he was taken into custody. Hicks was arrested within the City limits of Michigan City. Hicks remains housed in the La Porte County Jail on a $10,005 cash bond through Superior Court I and a hold for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. The FAST Team and Marshal’s Office located Hicks by acting on several leads received from the public

In an effort to build a high-functioning, multi-faceted economic development and business support center, the Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and the Greater La Porte Economic Development (GLEDC) Board of Directors agreed recently to combine expertise under one umbrella and form a new alliance. The new alliance will continue to operate chamber of commerce and economic development functions independently with oversight from the two boards of directors, but will share staff, workspace, and overall vision so the organizations can be more closely aligned as they represent the business interests of the greater La Porte community. More

South Shore Line will be offering 10% discounts on monthly passes during the month of March.During the polar vortex, South Shore Line services were suspended for several days due to the extreme temperatures. Crews ran tests throughout the day and night during this time to determine whether rail lines were safe. Unfortunately, the record-breaking temperatures caused problems ranging from downed electrical lines on South Shore Line’s tracks to damage on Metra Electric District tracks that the SSL runs on in Illinois, resulting in cancelled service on both train lines. Metra and South Shore Line crews worked around the clock to

A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 45. 

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announces that a bridge deck replacement project is set to begin March 4 on U.S. 35 in the City of LaPorte. The bridge, which is adjacent to the courthouse in downtown LaPorte and just north of State Road 2 (Lincoln Way), will maintain one lane of traffic in each direction for the duration of the project. During the first phase, traffic will use the southbound side of the bridge while crews work on the northbound side. The eight-span bridge is approximately 1,100 feet long. The $9.3 million project is set to finish by the

A group of truck drivers Thursday participated in a “slow-roll protest” on Interstate 465 in Indianapolis to express their displeasure with federal regulations burdening their industry. In particular, truckers and trucking companies are frustrated by new rules requiring the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) by commercial drivers. While their methods of protest might be debatable, the truckers’ concerns are legitimate, Attorney General Curtis Hill said. Attorney General Hill acknowledged that federal officials have addressed several of his initial concerns about the ELD regulations since he first got involved with the issue in 2017. He called for further study, however,

Leadership LaPorte County is teaming up with the Unity Foundation to provide an affordable opportunity for interested La Porte county residents to visit the State Capitol in Indianapolis on Tuesday, March 26th . This trip is ideal for individuals who have business with our State officials, are aspiring to run for office, or have never visited the state legislature. It is is an opportunity to see legislation in action and to meet with La Porte County legislators.The trip isoffered as part of the Leadership La Porte County 35th class. A few seats are available for community residents on a first-

Ivy Tech Community College is selling its former campus in Gary to 21st Century Charter School. The charter school is buying the two buildings and land, which had served as the college’s Gary campus. Recently the college moved its Gary operations to the Arts & Sciences Building, which it shares with Indiana University Northwest.

Governor Eric Holcomb will attend the annual National Governors Association Winter Meeting in Washington D.C., Feb. 22 through 25. While there, he and other governors will meet with the president and vice president. Gov. Holcomb also will meet with business leaders that hire Hoosiers and representatives from two of Indiana’s largest trading partners – Canada and Japan. On Monday, Gov. Holcomb will participate in a workforce development panel at the 4th Annual Invest in America Summit hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The governor will highlight Indiana’s innovative work and why it makes our state a premier place to