News

Barker Middle School held its third quarterly “STEM Community Challenge” on Friday, February 22. This quarter’s challenge was to design a paper airplane that would fly the farthest distance. Students on several Barker teams took on teams from elementary schools and area businesses and organizations.The winners were:3rd Place: Coolspring Elementary 6th grade "Apex Legends"2nd Place: Barker Mr. Trotter's IMPACT group1st Place TIE: Barker Ms. Pol's IMPACT group & Barker's Mr. Callaway's IMPACT groupThe first place teams both designed a plane that traveled the entire distance of the school gym and hit the wall each time in a 3-round “fly-off finale.”The

On Sunday at around 4:00 a.m., the Valparaiso Police responded to the Silhavy Rd. Holiday Inn Express in reference to a disturbance that occurred within a hotel room.  Upon arrival, police made contact with 40 year old Christopher Hotter, and 31 Lindsay Littlefield, both of Valparaiso. It was learned the two had been involved in a altercation while sharing a room at the hotel with three juveniles, all of whom were related to them.  During the investigation, police noted the extreme intoxication of both Hotter and Littlefield. It was determined they were unfit to care for the children, having placed

The Indiana Department of Revenue (DOR) is warning taxpayers to be on alert when getting phone calls claiming they have unpaid tax bills. These phone calls are often scams designed to threaten individuals with some sort of law enforcement or legal action in order to get them to send money towards bogus tax bills. The federal government’s Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) reports that 14,700 victims have paid more than $72 million as a result of phone scams since 2013.Customers should be aware that DOR and the IRS will never:Call demanding immediate payment using a specific payment method,

Indiana’s unemployment rate stands at 3.5 percent for January and remains lower than the national rate of 4.0 percent. With the exception of one month when it was equal (October 2014), Indiana's unemployment rate now has been below the U.S. rate for more than five years. The monthly unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people seeking employment within the prior four weeks as a percentage of the labor force. Indiana’s labor force had a net increase of 7,613 over the previous month. This was a result of an increase

South Shore Line will be offering 10% discounts on monthly passes during the month of March.During the February 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

Mayor Ron Meer is proud to announce the City of Michigan City’s recent inclusion in the State of Indiana’s Lead-based paint remediation program which is sponsored by Medicaid and administered through the Indiana State Department of Health. Home owners, Landlords, and Renters who live in a home, or own a home, built before 1978 can receive a free home inspection to determine if the residents are being exposed to lead-based paint hazards. Homes providing child care are also eligible for this service. If lead-based paint exists, this program will also pay for removal of the lead hazard. To be eligible

La Porte Physician Network has recruited a new family medicine physician, Dr. Tia Dorn, to Michigan City. Dr. Dorn’s office is located at the LifeWorks Campus, 3777 N. Frontage Road, Suite 400 in Michigan City. She is accepting new patients. She is board certified in Family Medicine. Her education and experience has left her with a special interest in women’s health, nutrition, homeopathy and outpatient procedures. To make an appointment with Dr. Dorn, call 219-877-3841. For more information, visit laportephysiciannetwork.com.

Work is set to begin Monday, March 18, on an intersection improvement project at U.S. 20 and SR 2 in Rolling Prairie. This project will see a “dogbone” interchange built at this location, eliminating the traffic signal and creating a bridge carrying motorists north-south with east-west traffic passing underneath. Roundabouts will be placed at the north and south ends of the bridge, creating the so-called “dogbone”. During the project, the corridor will be closed to north-south (LaPorte to New Carlisle) traffic between CR N 500 E and Oak Knoll Road, while east-west traffic (Michigan City to South Bend) will be

The Indiana Department of Transportation reminds middle and high schools teachers across the state that the application deadline for the 2019 Paint the Plow campaign is March 15. All schools interested in taking part in the program are encouraged to get their applications in before the deadline.Paint the Plow is open to all middle schools, high schools and career-technical schools across the state. Classes/programs from middle and high schools are invited to paint an INDOT snow plow blade with original artwork to represent their school. Applications and additional program details can be found here: painttheplow.indot.in.govIn addition to being seen in

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced the 2017-2018 Four Star Schools. Created by IDOE, the Four Star Schools designation recognizes great schools in Indiana.The Four Star School Award has been in existence for over 30 years. To receive Four Star designation, a school must receive an “A” on the state’s A-F accountability system and have excellent ISTEP pass rates. A total of 234 schools received the award.For more information regarding the Four Star School Award, please visit: www.doe.in.gov/accountability/four-star-schools. To view acomplete list of recognized schools, please visit: www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/news/2017-2018-four-star-list.pdf. Local schools on the list: Saint Patrick School - Chesterton Saint Paul Catholic

Late Saturday evening, Deputy Trey Masterson was dispatched to the 2100 west block of Joliet Road, reference a noise complaint. At approximately 10:05 PM, Deputy Masterson arrived at the residence. He proceeded to stop his fully marked patrol vehicle in the driveway and prepared to exit. Then he observed a silver Kia going in reverse, moving directly towards his vehicle. Deputy Masterson activated his emergency red and blue lights in an attempt to alert the driver. However, the Kia continued and struck the front end of Deputy Masterson’s vehicle. As a result of the crash, Deputy Masterson immediately began an

Friday, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) applauded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s announcement that it will deactivate an import alert on genetically engineered (GE) salmon and salmon eggs from entering the U.S. This is welcome news in Albany, Indiana, where AquaBounty made a $14 million investment – purchasing a defunct fish facility for cultivating GE salmon. The FDA had previously approved the facility and the product for human consumption, but production could not begin due to a provision in the 2016 Omnibus Appropriations Act that resulted in FDA issuing an import ban. This important investment could create up

Gov. Eric J. Holcomb announced that State Budget Director Jason Dudich will leave his post in May to serve as the vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer of the University of Indianapolis. Dudich has served as the state budget director since 2017 after being appointed by Gov. Holcomb. During his tenure, Dudich developed, presented and managed one balanced budget and is diligently worked on a second. He has helped manage the fiscal operations of the state ensuring integrity as well as maintaining strong reserves and the state’s AAA credit rating. Dudich will continue in his current role through the

La Porte Physician Network has recruited a new family medicine physician, Dr. Tia Dorn, to Michigan City.   Dr. Dorn’s office is located at the LifeWorks Campus, 3777 N. Frontage Road, Suite 400 in Michigan City.  She is accepting new patients. Dr. Dorn has always wanted to be a doctor, primarily because she enjoys helping people accomplish their health and wellness goals.    Dorn said, “I love working with patients of all ages. My favorite part of family medicine is partnering with patients to help them accomplish their goals. We are a team working towards their optimal health.”  Dorn obtained her medical

The Indiana Department of Transportation reminds middle and high schools teachers across the state that the application deadline for the 2019 Paint the Plow campaign is March 15. All schools interested in taking part in the program are encouraged to get their applications in before the deadline. Paint the Plow is open to all middle schools, high schools and career-technical schools across the state. Classes/programs from middle and high schools are invited to paint an INDOT snow plow blade with original artwork to represent their school. Applications and additional program details can be found here: painttheplow.indot.in.gov In addition to being

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) kicked off a month long celebration of women’s history with a networking event March 5. Upcoming events celebrating Women’s History Month include movie screenings, distinguished speakers, and talks on some of the most significant social issues of the last few years.Sheila Brillson Matias, executive director of the Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest, shared words of advice from her father at the inaugural event. The event gave students a chance to network with community members. PNW Chancellor Thomas L. Keon, said instilling the idea that women are capable and deserving of every opportunity that the world has

Effective 6:00 AM Monday, March 11, 2019 the LaP orte County Highway Department will place seasonal weight restrictions on all county roads within LaPorte County. These restrictions will remain in effect indefinitely. The Frost Law has one sole purpose and that is to protect the county roads from damage caused by heavy loads. The roads become very soft and easily damaged as t he frost leaves the ground and the base of the roads. When spring weight restrictions are in effect on frost-restricted routes, axle loadings are reduced to half loads. Companies hauling on county roads must call the Highway

Attorney General Curtis Hill today announced that his office is providing an online form enabling individuals to more easily report instances involving alleged abuse by clergy. The form may be found at the Attorney General’s homepage at www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/.Any forms submitted may be disclosed to appropriate law enforcement agencies in accordance with Indiana law. Anyone submitting a form may be contacted by an investigator.To report incidents involving minors, individuals should call the Indiana Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-800-5556, which is administered by the Indiana Department of Child Services. The form is located at www.in.gov/attorneygeneral .

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has been recognized nationally for an online virtual job fair it conducted last year for incarcerated individuals.DWD on March 6 received the prestigious William J. Harris Equal Opportunity Award at the National Association of State Workforce Agencies’ (NASWA) 2019 Winter Policy Forum in Washington, D.C.NASWA honored DWD for partnering with the Indiana Department of Correction to host the online virtual job fair in August 2018 for 132 inmates at five correctional facilities across the state.Plainfield, Rockville, Wabash, Westville and the Correctional Industrial Facility in Pendleton participated in the job fair, believed to be

The Indiana State Board of Education (Board) met Wednesday for its monthly business meeting. Based on community feedback gathered at five public meetings over the course of six months, the School Transition Task Force assembled recommendations for next steps for three turnaround academies located in Indianapolis. The schools, currently operated by Charter Schools USA (CSUSA), are: TC Howe Community High School, Emmerich Manual High School, and Emma Donnan Middle School. The Board heard testimony from Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) leaders and CSUSA, as well as numerous community members. A majority of community members spoke in favor of the Task Force’s