News

A 28 year old Valparaiso resident pled guilty to unemployment insurance fraud in Porter County Superior Court 5 on May 15th. Through the use of agency records, an Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) employee began an investigation and determined that Kyle Cumbee was working and receiving wages while claiming unemployment insurance benefits. Cumbee was sentenced to 910 days of probation and ordered to repay DWD $12,392 for the benefits he fraudulently collected. DWD receives wage reports and new hire data from Hoosier employers documenting who is employed and receiving compensation. The agency uses this information to ensure people are

Attorney General Curtis Hill announced Monday that workers -- including inmates of the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) -- have concluded restoration and repair work begun last year to preserve historic features of the Attorney General’s Office in the Indiana Statehouse. The project included restorative painting, refurbished woodwork, doors, door frames and lighting. In addition to historic preservation, the project also included updated electrical wiring and furnishings, among other items. This work occurred amid many other recent renovations and upgrades needed at the Indiana Statehouse and its campus. In planning the restoration of the Attorney General’s Office (SH 219), Attorney

Time is running out for eligible individuals who graduated in 2014 with a high school diploma or equivalent to claim their Tuition Incentive Program benefits, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury. The grant program—known as TIP for short—encourages eligible Medicaid recipients to complete high school by providing college tuition assistance. Eligible TIP students have four years to begin their TIP benefits or permanently forfeit eligibility. For the class of 2014, this means TIP students must be in TIP by the upcoming fall 2018 semester or risk becoming ineligible to receive available grant dollars that help cover college expenses. High

Agribusiness professionals, consultants and crop advisers who work with farmers will learn new strategies for identifying and responding to a variety of crop problems at two workshops beginning in June at Purdue University's Pinney Purdue Ag Center near Wanatah, IN. Participants will gain practical knowledge that will help them assist farmers in managing the nutrient, pest and environmental factors that influence crop growth. The workshops are presented by experts from Purdue Extension Field Crops team. Registration is required at least one week before each diagnostic workshop. For more information, go to https://extension.purdue.edu/LaPorte/and click on “Agriculture” for a registration form and flyer.

The League of Women Voters of La Porte County will present special guest Jamie Miller, Development Officer of the Unity Foundation of La Porte County, on Tuesday, June 12th at Lunch With The League. Miller is first Vice President of Michiana Lions Club of Michigan City, where she has worked on numerous projects related to youth, environment, vision, and hunger in our community. The general public is invited to this informative program. Reservations are not required, but for non-members, a donation is requested. Attendees are encouraged to arrive at 11:30 a.m. and may purchase a lunch of their choice from

Due to train track crossing repairs being performed by Chicago South Shore in cooperation with INDOT, the City of Michigan City is announcing that the Chicago South Shore crossing, located near the NIPSCO west gate, on US Highway 12, will be closed beginning at 7:00 a.m., on Thursday, June 7, 2018.  The crossing is expected to reopen on Monday, June 11, 2018, but the length of closure may vary depending on track time, equipment and/or weather-related issues. Detour signs will be put in place. The City of Michigan City appreciates your cooperation during the repair process.

A semi driver rolled her tanker over Sunday evening on I-65 at the 247.8 mile marker (this is near the Crown Point exit) after having a “sneezing fit”, which closed the right lane for over eight hours. Preliminary investigation revealed a Volvo semi pulling a tanker trailer, driven by 55 year old Julie Duncan, of Canton, Michigan was south bound on I-65 in the left lane in a construction zone. Duncan stated she had a “sneezing fit” while trying to talk to Siri on her phone.  She looked up and saw that she was going to hit construction barrels so

On the 500th day of the Trump Administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Northern District of Indiana U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II announced that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis. In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant United States Attorneys to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. Many of the civil enforcement AUSA’s

The Michigan City Police Department is currently accepting applications for multiple Full-Time Police Officer positions. Starting pay for a Probationary Officer (first year) is $42,494.01. After completing the first year of probationary status then an officer becomes a First Class Patrolman and the pay increases to $45,836.46. Benefits include longevity pay, specialty pay, healthcare program including dental and vision, take home car program, retirement plan, paid vacations, personal days and much more. There are many positions available through the different divisions as well as Specialty positions. Applications may be picked up at the Michigan City Police Department or downloaded from:

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that the SBA has now approved over $1 million in low-interest disaster loans for Indiana businesses and residents affected by the severe storms and flooding from Feb. 14 through March 4, 2018. The disaster declaration covers counties in Indiana including: Lake and St. Joseph, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans including: Jasper, La Porte, Porter, Starke, in Indiana; and Berrien, Cass and

In Michigan City, residents and stakeholders of the Eastport neighborhood are invited to attend a grand opening of the new Eastport Neighborhood Walker Park Community Garden on June 9th at 9 a.m. The new Community Garden project is a collaboration between the City of Michigan City Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, Eastport Neighborhood Association, Purdue Extension, St. Franciscan Healthcare, North Central Community Action Agencies and the Home Team of La Porte County and has been designed with Eastport residents in mind to inspire and coordinate healthy alternative choices while making Eastport an even greater place to live, work, and

A Chicago man was arrested Sunday on multiple charges after fleeing an Indiana State Trooper. Trooper Alaa Hamed was sitting stationary at 5:26 a.m., in his fully marked police car in the cross over at the 2.5 mile marker (this is approximately 2 ½ miles east of the Indiana/Illinois state line) on the Indiana Toll Road when he saw a 2018 Ford SUV east bound in the left lane at a high rate of speed.  Hamed was able to clock the SUV on his radar at 96 miles-per-hour in a posted 70 miles-per-hour speed zone.  When Hamed pulled out to catch up

  Early Saturday morning, a three car crash on the exit to Grant Street caused two drivers to be taken to the hospital and the ramp to be closed for 1 ½ hours. Preliminary investigation by Trooper William Carlson revealed, at approximately 3:30 a.m., a 2016 Ford Focus, driven by Christine Frost, 27 of Hammond, was east bound on I-80/94 when she made a lane change to exit off at Grant Street and hit a 1998 Ford E-150 van, driven by Curtis Hicks, 58 of East Chicago.  The Focus then spun out and crashed into an impact attenuator.  This then caused the

From Friday, June 9 through Saturday, October 13 Lubeznik Center for the Arts (LCA) will exhibit original works by Andy Warhol, on loan from the Drew and Wendy Levenfeld collection, as well as from the Brauer Museum of the Art's permanent collection at Valparaiso University, Indiana. The exhibition will be titled Warhol: Icon & Influence and is generously sponsored by NIPSCO. The community will have the opportunity to view these works and learn more about Andy Warhol and his impact on the global art world. Much of his well-known subject matter of the mundane, such as the Campbell's Soup Cans,

This week, the Indiana Department of Education announced the kickoff of the 2018 Summer Food Service Program. In partnership with more than 250 school and community sponsors, children 18 and younger all across the state will have access to free meals and snacks throughout the summer break. June marks the busiest month for the summer food program when many families seek help for additional nutrition resources. As a result, Governor Eric J. Holcomb has issued a statewide proclamation declaring the week of June 4-8 Summer Food Service Program week. For more than 40 years, the Summer Food Service Program has

Last Thursday Gov. Eric Holcomb ceremonially signed into law legislation sponsored by State Rep. Jim Pressel (R-Rolling Prairie) supporting firefighter safety and housing affordability. The bill signing took place at the 42nd Annual Indiana Professional Firefighters Union Convention in Carmel. Pressel, owner of a home building and remodeling business and former president of the Indiana Builders Association, said the new law creates a reporting system to inform fire departments of any new structures in their jurisdiction built with advanced structural components. According to Pressel, this information is important to firefighters because these materials, though more cost-efficient, environmentally friendly and structurally

In a statement form the Michigan City Police, the department conducted a Death Investigation at Washington Park. The results of the investigation revealed a suicide. There had been posts on Facebook reporting a stabbing/murder, which MCPD says was not true.

The preliminary 2018 spring wild turkey harvest was 11,304 birds, roughly 14 percent less than the 2017 spring turkey harvest of 13,069. A total of 1,054 birds were taken during the 2018 youth hunting weekend prior to the regular season. The estimated number of turkey hunters afield in 2018 was 58,916, with an estimated hunter success of 19 percent. Annual statewide spring harvests have generally stabilized since the peak harvest in 2010 (13,742), with spring harvest totals ranging from 11,000-12,000 birds and the estimated hunter success ranging from 18 to 26 percent since 2005. Final harvest information for the 2018

Indiana State Troopers will now be better equipped to provide assistance when dealing with people in need. Million Meal Movement provided more than 300 meal packets to the state police that contain enough nutrients to feed a family of four. The packets will be made available to troopers throughout the state to carry in their patrol car. In 2007, Dan and Nancy Hintz began Million Meal Movement with a two-fold vision: feeding the hungry and teaching the importance of volunteerism. As Million Meal Movement has grown, MSP has carried out this vision by empowering volunteers of all ages as they

In Michigan City, residents and stakeholders of the Eastport neighborhood are invited to attend a grand opening of the new Eastport Neighborhood Walker Park Community Garden on June 9th at 9 a.m. The new Community Garden project is a collaboration between the City of Michigan City Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, Eastport Neighborhood Association, Purdue Extension, St. Franciscan Healthcare, North Central Community Action Agencies and the Home Team of La Porte County and has been designed with Eastport residents in mind to inspire and coordinate healthy alternative choices while making Eastport an even greater place to live, work, and