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More Hoosiers are working than ever before, as Indiana ended 2018 by reporting record employment numbers for the year and job gains in every major sector measured by the state.The Indiana Department of Workforce Development reported on Jan. 18 that the total number of employed Hoosiers in December preliminarily reached 3,284,190, while private employment hit 2,731,600—both new highs for the state. Total preliminary private employment in 2018 grew by 42,700 people from the previous peak in December 2017, according to DWD. Dating back to July 2009, Indiana has gained 408,400 private jobs since state employment bottomed out during the recession.

Wednesday, the President and Board Members of the Bolt For The Heart (BFTH) foundation were welcomed to Governor Holcomb’s office for a personal “Thank you” for donating an additional 134 AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) units to the Indiana State Police.  This brings the total number of AED units donated to the state police to 465 and marks the fulfillment of a 2014 pledge by BFTH to put an AED in state police road patrol vehicles. The value of this donation exceeds $600,000.Gov. Holcomb visited with Pierre Twer, the President of the BFTH, a non-profit organization, along with BFTH Board Members,

The Indiana State Police were requested by Porter County Sheriff Dave Reynolds to investigate a police action shooting involving one of his officers. Preliminary investigation reveals that at approximately 5:36 pm on Wednesday evening, they received a call to assist EMS with a suicidal subject that resided in the 700 block of McCool Road in South Haven. Two Porter County officers arrived at the home and attempted to get the person to answer the door, a third officer arrived and when they looked through one of the home’s window they saw a male who was bloody. The officers forced entry

WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR Lake, Porter-Newton, and Jasper counties from 6 PM CST Thursday To Noon CST Friday. Very cold wind chills expected. Wind chills as low as 25 below zero expected. The cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. A Wind Chill Advisory means that cold air and the wind will combine to create low wind chills. Frostbite and hypothermia can occur if precautions are not taken. Make sure you wear a hat and gloves.

The Porter County Sheriff's Office is currently accepting applications for the position of Probationary Jail Officer. Starting salary: $38,616.00. Job Requirements:• United States citizen• 21 years of age or older• high school or GED diploma• no felony convictions• valid Driver's LicenseBenefits:• Insurance (medical, dental, and vision)• State Perf Pension• Life Insurance• Paid Vacations• Paid Holidays• Paid Training• Uniform Issuance• Available OvertimeIf interested complete the required application available at: https://www.porterco.org/Jobs.aspx Applications may be hand delivered or mailed to the Sheriff's Office, Attn: Jail Admin.

As part of ongoing improvements at the Gary Metro Center station, the South Shore Line platform elevator will be closed beginning Monday, Jan. 28, as final tasks are completed.Passengers may continue to access the SSL platform through the main Metro entrance stairwell and via the Broadway St. entrance.Due to the elevator closure, the recommended alternative Accessible station location is East Chicago.The closure is expected to last through Wednesday, Jan. 30th.

Warming stations have been put in place due to the very cold weather. In Michigan City the Michigan City Police Department and City Hall have been designated as warming centers. In La Porte, the LaPorte County Complex has been designated as a warming center.

Duneland Schools - CLOSEDKnox Community Schools - CLOSEDLa Porte Community Schools - CLOSEDMichigan City Area Schools - CLOSEDNew Buffalo Schools - CLOSEDNew Prairie - CLOSEDNiles Community Schools - CLOSEDNorth Judson - San Pierre - 2 Hour DelayOregon Davis - CLOSEDSouth Bend Schools CLOSEDSouth Central - CLOSEDPortage Schools - CLOSEDValparaiso Schools - CLOSEDWestville Schools - CLOSED **For those who use Meals on Wheels, please use your Blizzard Box today** **All Porter and La Porte County Government Offices are CLOSED**

On Tuesday at just after 5am Officers from the La Porte Police Department were dispatched to a residence in the 600 blk. of 4th St. (corner of 4th St. and F St.) for a structure fire. Officers observed heavy smoke and flames coming from the home. Officers attempted to make entry to make sure there was no one inside but due to heavy smoke and flames they were unable to make entry. Once La Porte Fire arrived on scene they started to extinguish the fire. Members of the fire department were finally able to make entry and upon doing so,

Mayor Ron Meer of the City of Michigan City will host the 2019 Enchanted City Mayor’s Ball. The proceeds will benefit Lubeznik Center for the Arts and Friendship Botanic Gardens. The Mayor’s Ball will be held at Blue Chip Casino Stardust Event Center, Saturday, February 9th, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The evening will include hors d’oeuvres and cash bar. Enchanting entertainment will be provided. The dress for the evening is Black Tie Optional. Tickets for the Mayor’s Ball are available now. Tickets can be purchased at City Hall, 100 E. Michigan Blvd., Michigan City, Indiana. Tickets are $100

There were several traffic incidents in the WIMS area on Tuesday due to the freezing rain. The westbound toll road was shut down for several hours in the South Bend area. I-94 also had multiple accidents including one just west of Michigan City heading westbound. Keep up to date with the latest traffic, weather, and closings by listening to 95.1 FM and AM 1420 WIMS. Like WIMS and Facebook and follow on twitter for local updates throughout the day.

Rain and freezing drizzle, possibly mixed with snow before noon. Temperatures falling to around 26 by 4pm.  Little or no ice or snow accumulation is expected.

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded a major contract to Rensselaer-based Talbert Manufacturing Inc. The manufacturer will receive more than $360 million over the next five years for the production of semi-trailers for the U.S. Army. Talbert Manufacturing produces a variety of heavy capacity trailers and specialized transportation equipment, according to its website. The DOD says the contract specifically calls for Talbert to produce the M872A4 semi-trailers. Work on the semi-trailers is expected to be complete in January 2024. The U.S. Army Contracting Command in Michigan is the contracting activity.

Applications are available for the Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity (ICLEO) program. The ICLEO program is designed to assist traditionally underrepresented groups in pursuing a legal career. The Indiana Supreme Court established ICLEO more than 20 years ago to help bring diversity to the legal profession. Since then more than 570 have graduated as ICLEO fellows. Applications are available online at courts.in.gov/cleo and are due by March 1, 2019. Students who successfully complete the Summer Institute may be eligible for a fellowship award for up to three years. The award is currently $4,500 per semester. To be eligible, applicants

Fourth Ward City Councilman Sean Fitzpatrick is seeking input from his ward and invites residents of the Fourth Ward to a town hall workshop to share their ideas and opinions. The workshop will be held Saturday, January 26 at 11 a.m. at St. John’s United Church of Christ, 101 St. John’s Road in the Fellowship Hall and is open to all residents of the city’s Fourth Ward. More information regarding this workshop is available by contacting Fitzpatrick at sfitzpatrick@emichigancity.com.

PFLAG (Parents, Family, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Michigan City and LaPorte County Chapter continuewith their second year. Their place is the Artspace Uptown Artist Lofts in the Uptown Arts District in Michigan City. They will meet this month on Thursday, January 24th, at 6:30 pm. They welcome everybody who are allies including everyone in our LGBTQA+ community. Esther Stiles, President of the local PFLAG, will share resources and lead a discussion in how to be an effective ally. There will also be opportunity for questions and sharing. Anything and everything talked about at the meetings remains in their

Purdue University Northwest’s School of Education and Counseling hosts the first screening in Northwest Indiana of No Small Matter, a documentary film exploring the value of high quality early learning as a key driver of economic development. Two screenings, along with a post-showing discussion with Co-Director Greg Jacobs will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. today in Room 150D in the Student Union & Library Building, 2233 173rd Street, at the Hammond Campus; and from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29 in Room 002 of the Library-Student-Faculty Building, 1401 South U.S. 421, at the Westville Campus. For more information, contact Hadassah

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) is launching a program to help attract mental healthcare providers to rural areas of the state where more services are needed. The program will provide an incentive for psychiatrists, alcohol and substance use counselors and practitioners in related disciplines to practice in a specific, federally designated Indiana region experiencing high numbers of opioid deaths. The counties included are Blackford, Dearborn, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Henry, Jay, Randolph, Switzerland, Union and Wayne. The program will be administered by the ISDH Division of Chronic Disease, Primary Care and Rural Health. The project will make grants for

In partnership with both the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, the APRHF Rail Rangers provide onboard educational programs on the South Shore Line through Illinois and Indiana. Rail Rangers Interpretive Guides narrate the passing scenery to the public -- just buy a ticket at a station or ticket kiosk, grab a seat in the designated car (program takes place in one designated car on the train), and participate at no extra cost! No reservations are ever needed for South Shore Line programs, plus you can hop-on and off at any stop. These programs are presented

Snow, Freezing rain, and sleet expected throughout the day with a high temp of 34 degrees. Check back for updates on weather and road conditions.