News

State health officials are urging Indiana residents to take steps to protect themselves from mosquito bites amid an increase in West Nile virus activity across the state. As of August 6, one human case of West Nile virus disease has been detected in Vanderburgh County, and 168 mosquito samples in 27 Indiana counties have tested positive for West Nile virus. The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) expects to continue to see increased West Nile activity throughout the state as the mosquito season progresses. State health officials recommend the following preventive measures: Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are active (especially

A $2,500 donation to Lubeznik Center for the Arts (LCA) by the Michigan City Public Art Committee (MAC) will honor veterans by inviting them to attend LCA’s annual summer arts festival for free. The Lubeznik Arts Festival (LAF), now in its 37th year, will attract thousands of shoppers and arts enthusiasts to the Lubeznik Center campus, 101 W. 2nd St., in Michigan City on August 18 and 19, 2018. For more information please visit www.lubeznikcenter.org or call 219.874.4900.

The Michigan City Parks & Recreation Department announces that the Oasis Splash Park in Washington Park, Michigan City, Indiana will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, August 13th & 14th, 20th& 21st, and 27th & 28th. Hours of operation are 10am-12pm, 12:30am-2:30pm, 3pm-5pm (weather permitting). The final day of operation for the 2018 season will be Monday, September 3rd. The Splash Park is a water attraction with fountains and other features for children to play in and is a great alternative when the lake is not an option. It is a zero depth park with a controlled atmosphere. The park

The following is a statement from Chief Troy Williams: “On August 7th, 2018 at approximately 9:36 a.m. Portage Police Officers were dispatched to a collision involving a freight train that reportedly struck a juvenile on the CSX railroad tracks. The location of the collision was south of the Woodland Village Mobile Home Park - 5757 U.S. Hwy 20, Portage, IN, (there are two sets of CSX railroad tracks that run parallel to the southern end of the mobile home community, which is located south of U.S. Hwy 20 and west of Willowcreek Road). Officer Laura Lightfoot was the first officer

Willowcreek Road in Portage will experience lane restrictions at the bridge over the Indiana Toll Road starting Monday, August 13, 2018 to approximately Friday August 31, for bridge overlayment. Please pay mindful attention during this time. This will occur as school starts back up and may delay your travel time to some degree. Use extra caution when traveling through this area. *The Oasis Splash Park announces new days of operation* The Michigan City Parks & Recreation Department announces that the Oasis Splash Park in Washington Park, Michigan City, Indiana will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, August 13th & 14th,

33 year old Brendan R. Eiler of Mishawaka, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty of Receipt of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch. The Court imposed a sentence of 68 months imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release following his prison release, and $55,000 in restitution to victims of the crime. According to documents in the case, between March 2016 and March 2017, Eiler downloaded child pornography from the internet using a program named “e-Mule.” He admitted to possessing approximately 35,079 images and approximately 4,170 videos that portrayed child pornography. Some of these depicted

On Monday August 6th shortly before 10:00 AM the Indiana State Police received a tip from a LaPorte County Sheriff's deputy of a semi truck driver carrying beer from a Family Express at the intersection of US Highway 20 and State Road 39 in LaPorte County, Indiana. Master Trooper Tim McCormick responded to the area to investigate the call. He located the semi truck traveling westbound on US Highway 20 and conducted a traffic stop. Further investigation revealed that the driver, 58 year old Gary Eriks of Griffith, Indiana, was in possession of alcoholic beverages within the driving compartment of

The Indiana Department of Transportation announced that the agency is accepting applications for matching funds for shovel-ready local construction projects through Community Crossings, the State’s local road and bridge matching grant program. Projects that are eligible for funding through Community Crossings include road resurfacing, bridge rehabilitation, road reconstruction, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance in connection with road projects. Material costs for chip sealing and crack filling operations are also eligible for funds. Projects submitted to INDOT for funding will be evaluated based on need, traffic volume, local support, the impact on connectivity and mobility within the community, and

  The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application is now available on Unity Foundation of La Porte County’s website at www.uflc.net. Through support of Independent Colleges of Indiana and Lilly Endowment, Unity Foundation is offering two full-tuition, four-year college scholarships to benefit La Porte County residents. They provide full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and equipment for four years of undergraduate study, leading to a baccalaureate degree at any accredited Indiana public or private college or university. Nontraditional students - those who have been out of high school for any period

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating a Sunday drowning at Portage Lakefront Riverwalk on Lake Michigan. Five friends were swimming together at Portage Lakefront Riverwalk Beach, when 30 year old Salomon C. Martinez from Cincinnati, OH did not resurface. Martinez was located underwater by Portage and Porter Fire Departments and brought to shore. Martinez was transported by Portage EMS to Porter Regional – Portage Campus for further treatment and later pronounced deceased.

It's billed as the biggest and fastest offshore racing series, with flashy boats, thousands of spectators, and a chance to chat with boat owners passionate about their season-long weekend racing. Michigan City's Big Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram 10th Annual Great Lakes Grand Prix featured races on Sunday with owners and drivers at the top of their game. Ric Federighi and Jackie Beissel were on hand broadcasting live for TEAM WIMS and TEAM WHFB. For all things Big Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram 10th Annual Great Lakes Grand Prix including photos and videos from the race check out our Facebook and Twitter

State health officials are urging Hoosiers to protect themselves from ticks as cases of tick-borne disease continue to rise in the state. More than 100 cases of tick-borne disease have been reported so far in 2018, including one death due to ehrlichiosis in an elderly patient. Deaths from ehrlichiosis are rare in Indiana, with only four deaths reported in the last five years. Ticks are small, insect-like creatures that are found throughout Indiana in grassy and wooded areas. They tend to be most active during the late spring and early summer. Ticks can transmit a variety of diseases, such as

Nine community organizations have once again joined forces to host the Citywide Back-to-School Rally on Thursday, August 9 from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. The event will be held at Elston’s Gill Field, 317 Detroit Street in Michigan City. More than 1,600 students and their families are expected to attend this year’s Rally, which has been held at Gill Field each summer for the past ten years. The event will again feature free food, exhibits, activities, free lead screening and blood pressure checks, and a school supply giveaway. To attend the rally, families must be residents of Michigan City or attend

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office has announced that four people have been arrested for their role in a burglary to a home of a veteran that had been reported on July 18, 2018. The suspects have been identified as 19 year old Ethan Binversie of La Porte, 19 year old Bailey Gervais also of La Porte and 22 year old Tyler Jaeger of Michigan City. They are currently being held in the La Porte County Jail, all with a $20,000 bond. A 16 year old juvenile has also been arrested and he is being held in the La Porte

U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly’s office announced that Indiana students interested in pursuing a nomination to one of our nation’s service academies must submit their nomination application to the Senator’s office by 6:00 PM EDT on Friday, September 14, 2018. To download the 2018 U.S. Service Academy Nomination Application form, . Each year, Donnelly has an opportunity to nominate Hoosiers for admittance to service academies: the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY; the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, CO; the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD; the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY; and the U.S.

Nine community organizations have once again joined forces to host the Citywide Back-to-School Rally on Thursday, August 9 from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. The event will be held at Elston’s Gill Field, 317 Detroit Street in Michigan City. More than 1,600 students and their families are expected to attend this year’s Rally, which has been held at Gill Field each summer for the past ten years. The event will again feature free food, exhibits, activities, free lead screening and blood pressure checks, and a school supply giveaway. To attend the rally, families must be residents of Michigan City or attend

Congratulations to Daryl Westphal of the Michigan City Fire Department for receiving the Rotary Club of Michigan City annual Service Above Self Award. Daryl received the award during the Rotary Club’s luncheon at Patrick’s Grille on July 26th, recognizing him for going above and beyond in service to the community. Fire Chief Randy Novak of the Michigan City Fire Department spoke about the Firefighter award winner going to Battalion Chief Daryl Westphal. Battalion Chief Westphal has served the department for over 36 years and has served the department in many positions in his career as a firefighter, including Driver/Operator, Captain,

The Porter County TSP and La Porte City Police are joining about 230 law-enforcement agencies across Indiana and thousands nationwide in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over mobilization. From mid-August through Labor Day, police will be out in full force arresting impaired drivers. Expect to see increased sobriety checkpoints, roving patrols and saturation patrols. Indiana law-enforcement agencies have participated in annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over traffic enforcement for more than 20 years. Overtime patrols are supported with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) funds distributed by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI). For more information, visit "https://on.IN.gov/drivesober"NHTSA