News

Investigators with the DNR Division of Law Enforcement were recently recognized as sharing a Team Excellence Award by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for their work during a lengthy multi-agency investigation focusing on illegal commercial fishing.Per USFWS, Team Excellence Award recipients excel in tackling tough issues and work together to craft creative solutions. Team excellence occurs when the sum of the collective efforts is greater than an individual's efforts. For 2018, the USFWS awarded three teams from its Midwest region.The awarded team that included Indiana Conservation Officers conducted Operation Charlie, a USFWS-led comprehensive joint investigation that also included

The next meeting of the Task Force for Assessment of Services and Supports for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities will be held on Thursday, June 13, at the Indiana Statehouse, House Chamber, 200 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT.The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed live. The link to the livestream is https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2019/session/house_video_archive/. After clicking the link, viewers should select House Chamber.Requests for accommodations should be made by contacting Kristina Blankenship at Kristina.Blankenship@fssa.IN.gov at least 48 hours in advance of the task force meeting.The task force was originally established by House Enrolled Act

On Saturday, right before 2 a.m., members of the Michigan City Police Department heard gunshots in the Eastport Neighborhood along with receiving a 911 call that someone had been shot in the 200 block of Grace Street. Within moments of the call officers arrived at the scene to find 41-year-old Demetrice Taylor, a resident of Michigan City, deceased.An immediate investigation ensued with assistance from the Investigative Division, the LaPorte County HIDTA Drug Task Force, and the LaPorte County Sheriff’s investigation team. A focus on neighbors, acquaintances, and relatives have been interviewed and police are continuing an in-depth investigation into this

Gov. Eric J. Holcomb is participating in the 2019 SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, D.C. SelectUSA is a U.S. Department of Commerce program dedicated to facilitating job-creating business investment into the United States. At its sixth annual summit, SelectUSA will convene global executives and business leaders to discuss opportunities in key sectors — including advanced manufacturing, information technology, aviation and infrastructure — as well as critical topics like tax and regulatory reform, workforce development, economic diversification, and innovation and venture capital.While there, he will participate in meetings with business executives and government leaders. Today, the Governor will participate in a

La Porte County Government and the Sheriff’s Office are once again partnering with the American Red Cross for the 2019 Indiana Fallen Officer Blood Drive. These blood drives traditionally take place in every county in Indiana. This year’s blood drive will occur on June 14th, from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. and be held in the Conference Room of the La Porte County Annex. Eligible donors are encouraged to help honor the lives of those who serve our communities and remembering the fallen officers by donating blood. To schedule an appointment please call La Porte County Human Resources Director Barb

With World Elder Abuse Awareness Day coming up on June 15, Attorney General Curtis Hill has announced that his office is working with other state agencies and non-profit organizations through membership in the newly-formed Indiana Council Against Senior Exploitation (IN-CASE).IN-CASE pursues a mission of educating seniors and their caregivers on how to prevent all types of fraud. Each year, older Americans lose an estimated $2.9 billion to $36.5 billion to financial exploitation, abuse and scams, according to the National Council on Aging.“In this office, our efforts to protect consumers already involve a significant focus on seniors,” Attorney General Hill said.

LaPorte Police would like to announce the La Porte Citizens Police Academy will once again be offered to the citizens of La Porte County. The purpose of the Citizen Police Academy is to create better communication between the police department and the citizens of La Porte County through education. Graduates of this program will be better informed, and have a greater understanding of police procedure and practices. Classes are free and limited to 24 participants.The class will start on Thursday August 15th at the La Porte Police Department 1206 Michigan Ave., from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM, and will meet

Purdue University Northwest’s Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS) has been awarded a 2019 – 2020 research grant under the Naval Engineering Education Consortium (NEEC) program, through the Department of the Navy, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane). The project, “Visualization of Repair Operations Management for Networked Systems Resilience,” will research and develop visualization approaches to help efficiently find solutions for optimizing repair operations and mitigating network failure, for a model-based decision support system.The research team includes faculty both from Purdue University Northwest, who provide expertise in advanced visualization technologies and machine learning applications, and from

The Duneland Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the second Food Truck Square of the 2019 Season of Burns Harbor’s Food Truck Square Wednesday, June 12. From 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm, community residents and tourists are welcomed to visit 1237 Westport RoadBurns Harbor, Indiana 46304 the historic former site of the Westport Community Club — at the corner of Haglund and Westport roads, off of S.R. 149. to experience this family friendly event.Every month this season, Burns Harbor's European Market on the Square will feature a unique mixture of regional eateries and family-friendly activities. Picnic tables are available

Makers, crafters, and performers from across the region will be on hand for what is being billed as the “Greatest Show & Tell on Earth” -- the South Shore Mini Maker Faire. The event will be held on Saturday, June 22, at Charles R. Westcott Park in Michigan City. The free, family-friendly event will be open to the public from 11:00am to 5:00pm.The South Shore Mini Maker Faire takes after its enormous parent event, Maker Faire, which originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2006 as a project of the editors of Make: Magazine. Maker Faires have expanded into

Over 24 days, the La Porte Police Department issued 190 citations and made 1 arrest as part of the national “Click It or Ticket” mobilization. More seat-belt statistics are at www.in.gov/cji/files/Seat_Belt_Fact_Sheet2018.pdf.Indiana law requires all children under age 8 to be properly restrained in child car seat or booster seat.Choose the safest car seat for your child’s height and weight at www.safercar.gov/therightseat.Find a certified car-seat safety technician to assist with installation and proper usage at  www.preventinjury.org/Child-Passenger-Safety/Child-Safety-Seat-Inspection-Stations or through the SaferCar app on the App Store or Google Play.

Five prominent leaders are coming to the Purdue University Northwest (PNW) Sinai Forum during the acclaimed speaker series’ 66th season this fall, starting September 8 with former White House Chief of Staff General John F. Kelly, U.S. Marine Corps (RET).Tickets for the general public are on sale at www.pnw.edu/sinai-forum.Hosting prominent speakers has been the cornerstone of the Sinai Forum’s renowned history. The season runs from September through December, leading off with Gen. Kelly at the Stardust Event Center at Blue Chip Casino, Hotel & Spa in Michigan City, Indiana. The remaining programs are hosted at the James B. Dworkin Student

The Duneland Chamber of Commerce will once again host the 11th Annual Fireworks on the Lakefront event on Monday, July 1. The event will take place at the Indiana Dunes State Park.  Join the Chamber for food vendors and a spectacular fireworks show, to begin at dusk approximately 9:15 pm. Fireworks on the Lakefront event will not be possible without the monetary and in-kind donations of new and past supporters. Entrance to the Indiana Dunes State Park is $7 per car, or $12 per car with an out-of-state license plate. There will be a high amount of traffic at the

Franciscan Physician Network has welcomed new doctors to health centers in LaPorte and Michigan City. Kayla Nebalsick, DO, will provide expert care for women at Legacy Hills Health Center in LaPorte, and Dr. David Maldonado, DO, will practice family medicine at Coolspring Health Center in Michigan City.Dr. Nebelsick is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology. She was trained at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Parker, Colo. She did her residency at University of Toledo Medical Center in Toledo, Ohio. Dr. Nebelsick’s clinical interests include minimally invasive surgery, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, preconception health and obstetrical care, and osteopathic

The Duneland Chamber of Commerce presented the Chesterton Park Board a $1969.00 check from a portion of the proceeds of their fourth annual Corkscrew & Brew festival this past March. Maura Durham, president of the Duneland Chamber said, “We are very pleased to present the Chesterton Parks Department with this donation for all that they do year-round in creating great community spaces for all of the Chesterton residents and visitors to enjoy.”

The Indiana State Police Laboratory Division has successfully completed an international accreditation process, which assesses the quality operations and scientific procedures, to add crime scene investigation to the scope of accreditation. The Indiana State Police Regional Laboratories, located in Evansville, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and Lowell, have been accredited since 1991. The four Regional Laboratories and the crime scene and field operations at the other 11 Indiana State Districts have successfully met the rigorous forensic laboratory standards of International Standardization for Organization ISO 17025:2017 as recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) National Accreditation Board (ANAB).

A repaving of Route 6 from Union Street (west of County Line Road in Hobart) to Scottsdale Street (near Menards) is taking place. Residents and visitors to Portage should expect lane closures and delays. Portage Police will be patrolling this area carefully in an effort to keep construction workers safe. The estimated date of completion is June 20th.

Friday, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) announced that the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad will receive a $2.83 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to revitalize their rail infrastructure between Michigan City and La Porte. “As the Crossroads of America, it is critical to have a reliable rail network in Indiana for continued investments,” said Senator Young. “The Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad is a vital economic corridor for Northern Indiana. Federal investment in this critical rail corridor will improve rail safety and support continued economic

DNR grants totaling $632,880 will be used to fight aquatic invasive plants in Indiana’s lakes.The grants were awarded by DNR director Cameron F. Clark through the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program in the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife.The 42 projects involve 62 lakes and one river in 15 counties. The applications were submitted by local sponsors who share at least 20 percent of the total cost.(For a list of 2019-2020 grant awardees, visit wildlife.IN.gov/3304.htm.)

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources confirmed more than 70 Walmart stores and 18 Rural King stores in the state have received rhododendron plants infected with sudden oak death (SOD), a fungal pathogen that kills oak trees. Shipments containing infested material were sent to nine other states as well.Workers from the Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology have been visiting stores across Indiana to destroy any stock that has been found infested and quarantine any stock that is symptomatic. The DNR has destroyed approximately 1,500 infested rhododendron so far and pulled another 1,500 from stores. The DNR has also ordered