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On Friday, The Indiana Department of Education announced the 2016-2017 Four Star Schools. The Four Star Schools designation is designed by the Department to recognize great schools in Indiana. “Receiving designation as a Four Star School signifies a pursuit of academic excellence among students, educators, and the administration,” said Dr. Jennifer McCormick, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction. “I am honored to recognize these Four Star Schools for their hard work and dedication in preparing their students for a bright and prosperous future.” The Four Star School Award has been in existence for 30 years. To receive Four Star designation, a

Celebrate the migration of bird life through the Indiana Dunes region this May 17-20 at the fourth annual Indiana Dunes Birding Festival.   The four-day festival includes over 65 guided field trips and car pool tours to view migrating birds within the dunes area, over 50 bird related programs, from live bird of prey talks to species ID workshops, and special workshops for both new bird watchers and educators.  Evening events include special excursions for night birds, and a family friendly “birds and brew” social event on multiple nights.  The Saturday night keynote speaker is Greg Miller, who’s real life was portrayed

Congressman Banks has been selected as finalist for the 2018 Democracy Awards, which recognize non-legislative achievement and performance in congressional offices and by Members of Congress. A full press release from the nonpartisan Congressional Management Foundation, which oversees the awards, is below. The Banks office is a finalist in the “Constituent Service” category, which focuses on how an office interacts with and serves constituents, especially how it utilizes and leverages specific, methodical and consistent processes for achieving measurable results in constituent service. A total of 20 Members of Congress are finalists for awards in five different categories. Congressman Banks is

Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana was the recent recipient of new and gently used tools from Milwaukee Tool.  The donation included power tools, hand tools, accessories, and batteries.   Tools will be used on the current home build sites in Lake County to continue Habitat for Humanity’s mission of providing decent, affordable homes for working families. Since 1924, Milwaukee Tool has been an industry leading manufacturer of heavy-duty power tools, accessories, and hand tools for professional users worldwide.

The La Porte County Drug Task Force announces that charges have been filed against a La Porte County man, for allegedly dealing methamphetamine. Kyle R. COUCH (26) of La Porte was charged with Dealing Methamphetamine Level 4 Felony (two counts), and Dealing Methamphetamine Level 5 Felony. The LCDTF began an investigation into COUCH in early 2018, after numerous complaints from citizens in La Porte, as well as the southern La Porte County area, indicated that COUCH had been manufacturing/distributing methamphetamine, throughout La Porte County. Sgt. Andy Hynek, lead detective in the case presented evidence to The La Porte County Prosecutors

Because of a Department of Natural Resources release of water from a dam in Starke County, a possible surge of water may be imminent along the Kankakee river. The Porter County Government is advising residents along the Kankakee to closely monitor water levels and exercise all possible caution. They are also asking residents to avoid travel in this area and be aware that all county road bridges across the Kankakee may be closed depending on water levels. The Porter County Sheriff’s Department is in the area monitoring the situation. Porter County Emergency Management has obtained a limited supply of sandbags

The Valparaiso Police are investigating the theft of wallets from local stores. The wallets were taken from purses while the victims were shopping. The incidents took place on February 19th between 1:00-1:30 p.m. at Kohls and Walmart. Shortly after taking the wallets the two female subjects went to other local stores and used the victims credit cards to purchase numerous items. This has occured in previous months and police are seeking the identification of the two female individuals in the photos, (One white female and the other African-American female). For more photos of the suspects, visit the Valparaiso Police Department

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced a multistate settlement with TK Holdings, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Takata, over allegations that the company had concealed safety issues with their airbag systems, installed in a wide variety of vehicles impacting drivers and passengers across the country. The company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in June of 2017, and its reorganization plan has been confirmed by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The settlement reached between the attorneys general of 44 states and the District of Columbia, along with TK Holdings, Inc., concludes the multistate investigation into the

Today, Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb will join Department of Homeland Security Director Bryan Langley for a tour of recent flood damage in St. Joseph and Elkhart counties. They will meet with local officials to learn about response and recovery efforts already underway. In South Bend, Gov. Holcomb and Director Langley will meet with fire department officials, county emergency management officials and Mayor Pete Buttigieg before touring the damage at Indiana University South Bend and residential areas. In Goshen, Gov. Holcomb and Director Langley will tour flooded areas, assess business and residential damage, and meet with local officials, including Mayor

U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly announced that, as promised, he has donated his pay for the three days that the federal government was shut down last month. The pay, worth $940, was donated to ten food banks across Indiana. Donnelly helped craft a deal last month to end the shutdown by working with a bipartisan group of more than 20 Senators. Donnelly wrote checks for $94 to ten food banks across the state. He donated funds in Evansville to United Caring Shelters, in Fort Wayne to the Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, in Gary to the Food Bank of

On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) toured flood damage in Elkhart, Goshen, South Bend, and Plymouth, met with local mayors, and spoke by phone with state and federal emergency management officials. Walorski viewed flood damage with South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Elkhart Mayor Tim Neese, Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman, and Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter. She also received updates from Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) Executive Director Bryan Langley and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region V Director James Joseph. Officials recommend residents document any flood damage in order to file insurance claims and submit reports to state and

Indiana State Police is joining law-enforcement agencies across Indiana this March to increase dangerous and impaired driving patrols for the NCAA Tournament and St. Patrick’s Day. Last year, the weekend beginning St. Patrick’s Day had the highest number crashes involving impaired drivers. With March 17th, falling on a Saturday, police are conducting random patrols, saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints intended to make our roads safer. But unlike alcohol, there is no quick field test for the legal and illegal drugs that can impair drivers. ICJI and NHTSA are issuing Android tablets and apps to assist 185 highly-trained police officers in

As millions of taxes are being filed this season, the Indiana Department of Revenue (DOR) reminds customers of the two easy and convenient ways to check refund statuses. Taxpayers can go online to use the Refund Status interactive tool, which allows customers to check their status at any time. Taxpayers can simply visit the DOR website at www.in.gov/dor, and click “Get Started” under “Check the Status of Your Refund.” Taxpayers also have the option of calling the automated refund telephone line at 317-233-4018.

Berrien County officials have been in contact with Indiana Michigan Power officials regarding hydro-electric dams that they operate on the rivers in Berrien County. Heavy rain combined with snow melt brought the St. Joseph River in southwest Michigan and north-central Indiana to record levels, producing flooding that required some customers to be disconnected and affecting the six hydro-electric dams I&M operates on the river. I&M is working closely with local city officials and first responders, both to safely disconnect power to customers in flooded areas and to communicate the role of dams in connection with the river. Currently, all of

Hoosier homeowners, renters, businesses and private non-profit organizations that sustained uninsured damage caused by severe storms and flooding starting on or after February 15 can report damage online (at: https://bit.ly/2018rainfall). A link to the form is also available on the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) website at dhs.in.gov. In the middle of the page under "Featured Topics," click on " Heavy Rain and Flooding; February 15, 2018 and continuing.” Information gathered from citizens will assist county and state agencies in determining the scope of damage, as well whether state or federal assistance will be available for recovery efforts. his is

If you’ve ever wondered is it possible to predict when and where a vehicle crash may occur, the answer to that question is “Yes”. The Indiana State Police engaged the services of the Management Performance Hub, commonly referred to as the MPH, to create an interactive website for the public and media to help the public make informed road travel decisions. The result of the collaborative efforts of the Indiana State Police and the MPH was development of the Indiana Daily Crash Prediction map. This interactive map can be found on the Indiana State Police website at this location: https://www.in.gov/isp/3268.htm.

The Lady Blazers will compete for their first state title Saturday morning in Indianapolis. Tickets for Saturday's 10:30 am ET game will be available for purchase from 8:30 am until 4 pm beginning Tuesday until Thursday in the athletic office only. Fans can also buy their tickets at Tuesday evening's boys' basketball game, which also serves as their Senior Night. As opposed to previous rounds of the tournament, Saturday's Championship game is NOT general admission. Every seat in the facility is accounted for, so the ticket you buy corresponds to the seat on said ticket. Tickets are $15 each and

Nearly one in three women with disabilities on college campuses has experienced sexual assault. That's according to a new report from the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency. The report, called "Not on the Radar," also found colleges aren't prepared to respond to cases of sexual assault against students with disabilities. Wendy Harbour, a member of the council, says campuses should be thinking of disability the way they think of discrimination. She wants people to imagine what it takes to survive this situation and deal with the long process of reporting assault. Harbour says although the report reveals

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security is reminding Hoosiers to practice safety as rainfall and flooding issues continue throughout the state. Many counties in the state are under a flood watch or warning, and motorists are encouraged to turn around and find an alternate route if a road is closed or covered with water. In areas where flooding is already underway: Do not walk or drive through flooded areas. Flood waters can hide a washed out road or walkway. A few inches of fast-moving water can knock over and carry away an adult. A foot of fast-moving water can carry away a

The Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) earned a second place in the Gold Tier in Indiana in Cyber Patriot. Cyber Patriot is the national competition for high school students who served as the information systems specialist for an organization. They defend and counterattack against a fictional cyber-attack. The MCHS cadets compete against cadets from JROTCs from all services. There are 44 JROTC schools in Indiana. Three of the schools qualified for the Platinum Tier. MCHS was therefore 5th overall in the state.