Local News

U.S. 30 Partially Closed from Semi Rollovers

(La Porte County, IN) - Both eastbound lanes on a stretch of US 30 in La Porte County were closed from an early afternoon collision between semi-trucks today.

 

La Porte County Police said the closure is expected to last several hours to allow for the crash to be investigated and clean-up of the wreckage, along with spilled cargo. 

 

At least one person was injured in what appears to be a rollover collision resulting in the loss of at least one load.

Eastbound traffic was reportedly being diverted onto US 421.

 

More details will be provided when they’re made available by local authorities.

Serious Injuries in Alcohol Related Crash

(La Porte County, IN) - Police say alcohol was a factor in a driver being seriously hurt in a collision with a tree near Michigan City over the weekend.

 

At about 1 a.m. yesterday, emergency responders were called to Johnson Road and County Road 625 West where a heavily damaged 2020 Volkswagen was resting against a tree. There, several people reportedly stopped to assist the driver, 39-year-old Jerome Vann, who had an odor of alcohol on his breath.

 

Police said there were no witnesses and Vann, being difficult with investigators, would not reveal how the crash occurred.

 

He was taken to the hospital in La Porte for a blood drawing, which revealed a blood alcohol level allegedly close to three times the legal limit. Vann was not arrested but allowed to remain at the hospital for treatment of a broken arm, broken sternum, and bleeding in his chest.

 

Authorities note that he will be taken into custody on an OWI charge once released from the hospital if prosecutors and a judge, after reviewing the evidence, decide to press charges.

Driver Killed in Early Morning Collision

(La Porte County, IN) - A driver was killed in a single-vehicle crash this morning in La Porte County.

 

La Porte County Police said the investigation shows the driver was headed eastbound on 1000 North in a 2012 Range Rover when the vehicle veered right into a ditch, where it continued before crashing into several trees and overturning in Springfield Township.

 

The driver, who was the only person in the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene. So far, the name of the driver is being withheld until next of kin have been notified about the fatality.

 

Authorities noted that a toxicology test of a blood sample taken from the victim, which is standard procedure in any fatal motor vehicle crash, will determine if alcohol or drugs were involved in the accident.


Sun Captured in Police Chase

(La Porte County, IN) - The skies darkened for a driver whose last name is Sun on Sunday afternoon when, according to La Porte County Police, he was caught speeding on U.S. 20 near Rolling Prairie. 

 

An officer tried making a traffic stop, but the driver continued eastbound resulting in a motor vehicle pursuit, with Sun reportedly veering onto Indiana 2 and later into Saint Joseph County.

 

He stopped before running over a pair of stopsticks, flattening his tires.

 

Qihui Sun, 33, of New York City was arrested for Resisting Law Enforcement.

Impaired Driver Traveling 110 MPH

(La Porte County, IN) - A man was arrested for drunk driving after clocking in at over 100 miles per hour just outside of Michigan City over the weekend.

 

La Porte County Police said he was traveling at 110 miles per hour Saturday night on Johnson Road as people were leaving the boys’ semi-state basketball tournament hosted at Michigan City High School on nearby Pahs Road.

 

During a traffic stop of his 2023 Ford Mustang, the driver, 45-year-old Terry Vittatoe of Michigan City, reportedly had an odor of alcohol coming from his breath and claimed to have consumed two to three beers.

 

He was arrested for allegedly refusing a blood alcohol test. Vittatoe was also cited for Reckless Driving and Speeding.

New Prairie to Hear New Round of Book Challenges

(New Carlisle, IN) - The New Prairie Board of School Trustees will hear another round of library book objections.

 

In January, the board voted to retain five books in the middle school library, despite claims that they contain offensive or otherwise objectionable material. One book was moved from the middle school to the high school library. 

 

Eight different books are now on the chopping block. They include the following titles: The Poet X, Friction, Me & Earl and the Dying Girl, Smoke, Glass, Impulse, Burned, and Crank. The books are being challenged for their graphic descriptions of sexual acts and for obscene language and drug usage.

 

On Monday night, March 18th, New Prairie community members are invited to a special meeting to discuss the issue.

 

According to a statement by the school board, their specially appointed book review committee has already made a recommendation on the books. The board will not be making any decision to ban the titles. Based on public feedback, they will either retain the books or study the matter further.

 

Monday’s meeting will take place at the school district offices beginning at 6:00 p.m. Central Time.


Data Show Highway Changes Effective

(La Porte County, IN) - The Indiana Department of Transportation, along with the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office, are singing the praises of a couple of highway road improvements on the east side of the county.

 

It’s been four years since changes were made to Cougar Road, SR 2, and US 20. A little controversial at the time, making Cougar Road one-way near its intersection with SR 2 has reduced crashes considerably, says INDOT. There has been an 85% reduction in total crashes and an 80% drop in crashes resulting in injury. Safety at Cougar and US 20 is also improved, thanks to a new stoplight and turn lanes. Crashes there are down 51%.

 

The changes were made following the construction of the dogbone overpass at 2 and 20, which facilitated better traffic flow in the area.

 

La Porte County Sheriff's Captain Derek Allen says the changes have made a big difference. "One of the biggest things that we've seen is the efficiency in what the dogbone has done," he said. "With these improvements at both intersections, we're reducing the number of crashes and we're making it safer for motorists that travel these roadways frequently."

 

New Prairie school superintendent Dr. Paul White agrees. The safety of student drivers was a major consideration in limiting cross-traffic turns to and from SR 2. "The issues of wrecks at each location have been substantially reduced," he said. "It's been a win for everybody, and for the safety of our students and families, which needs to be the driver of decisions like this."

Dermody Speaks at Purdue

(West Lafayette, IN) - La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody returned to his alma mater to deliver a lecture earlier this week.

 

On Tuesday down in West Lafayette, Purdue University hosted what they call Road School, which is a conference for public roadway issues. Thousands of industry professionals, elected officials, and government agencies gather each year to discuss best practices.

 

Dermody’s presentation focused on how new and creative resources can meet the needs of a community despite budgetary constraints.

 

Joining Dermody were Street Department Superintendent Mike Fraze, Street Department Director Jeff Batchelor, and Baker Tilly Director Andrew Mouser.

La Porte Hospital Makes New CEO Official

(La Porte, IN) - La Porte’s hospital has a new top boss.

 

Simon K. Ratliff has been named the new CEO at Northwest Health for both the La Porte and Knox locations. Ratliff has been the interim CEO for the hospitals since February 5th.

 

Ratliff has over two decades of healthcare leadership experience. He was previously in charge of a large hospital in Pennsylvania. He has also held administrative roles in West Virginia, Arizona, and Kentucky.

 

“We are excited to officially welcome Simon to the Northwest Health team,” said Jessica Romine, Chair, Northwest Health – La Porte Board of Trustees. “With his strong leadership skills, knowledge of hospital operations, and experience in physician recruitment, we know that he is the right person to lead our hospitals into a rewarding future.”

Police Outreach to Surveillance Camera Owners

(La Porte County, IN) - The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is reaching out to residents and business owners with video surveillance systems to help fight crime.

 

Project STAR-CAM is a database made up of people who register their video surveillance systems with the sheriff’s office. Captain Derek Allen, a member of the sheriff's office, explained that the database gives police officers and detectives up-to-date information on where surveillance systems are located throughout the county.

 

If help in a criminal investigation is needed in a specific area, Allen said, officers can look in the database for any surveillance cameras near a crime scene and seek permission from camera owners to view surveillance footage.

 

Project STAR-CAM is completely voluntary and any information provided will remain confidential. Anyone wishing to register will be given a QR code to scan to begin the registration process.   

 

For further information or questions related to Project STAR-CAM, please contact Captain Derek J. Allen at dallen@lcso.in.gov.

DNA Leads to Arrest of Beer Drinking Burglar

(La Porte County, IN) - DNA extracted from one of many bottles of beer a burglar consumed at a home has resulted in the arrest of Shawn Shirley, 46, who has been charged in La Porte Circuit Court with Level 5 felony Burglary.

 

In August, La Porte County Police were called to a residence along U.S. 30 in Wanatah after a husband and wife had returned after being gone for about a month. There, they found evidence that someone had been inside their home.

 

According to police, a bed sheet and a pillow were missing, and all of the beer inside the refrigerator had been consumed. DNA obtained from one of the empty beer bottles identified Shirley as the suspect when the test results of a DNA sample came back several months later.

 

When questioned by authorities, the Valparaiso man said he climbed through an unlocked window and began drinking all of the beer from the refrigerator. Shirley also said he fell asleep on a couch and left in the morning. 

 

Court records show he has another charge of Burglary and Robbery still undecided in the courts.

Man Facing Meth Dealing Charges

(La Porte County, IN) - A man has been accused of selling drugs at different locations in La Porte County in less than a week.

 

James Johnson, 51, of Kingsford Heights has been charged in La Porte Circuit Court with three counts of Dealing in Methamphetamine.

 

According to court documents, the exchanges occurred inside an RV parked at a residence in the area of U.S. 35 and 700 South, in the parking lot of an auto parts store in the 300 block of East Lincolnway in La Porte, and outside a convenience store on U.S. 35 at 400 South.

 

Each of the alleged transactions occurred in late January, with one reportedly involving seven grams of methamphetamine for $120.

 

Per authorities, the investigation was conducted by the La Porte County Drug Task Force, which is familiar with Johnson and “his association with the local illicit narcotics trade.”

 

Johnson has two methamphetamine cases from late last year as of yet undecided in the courts.

Beware of Storm Scammers

(Indianapolis, IN) - As communities across the state look to rebuild after severe weather, Attorney General Todd Rokita warns Hoosiers to be cautious of storm scams.

 

Rokita noted that the thoughts and prayers of Hoosiers for the victims are first and foremost, but to prevent additional loss, “Indiana communities should be on the lookout for scammers who use weather-related disasters to scam innocent people out of their hard-earned money.”

 

Unfortunately, he explained, far too many dubious con artists appear on people’s doorsteps, promise to make needed repairs, and then disappear with their victims’ down payment in their pockets.

 

Rokita is sharing the following tips to help Indiana residents avoid falling victim to storm-chasing scammers: 

 

  • Be skeptical of people promising immediate cleanup and debris removal.   
  • Know that FEMA doesn’t charge application fees. If someone wants money to help you qualify for FEMA funds, that’s probably a scam.  
  • Check out contractors’ reputations before enlisting their services.   
  • Ask for IDs, licenses, and proof the contractor is both bonded and insured.
  • Get more than one estimate for work.   
  • Don’t believe any promises that aren’t in writing.   
  • Never pay by wire transfer, gift card, cryptocurrency, or in cash.  
  • Don’t pay the full amount for the project upfront.  

 

“Before opening up your wallet, ask questions, demand a written contract, and do old-fashioned research before hiring anyone to repair your home. It can be tempting to accept help to fix damages to your home, but it’s crucial to take a step back and fully vet the contractor,” he said.   

 

If you ever suspect a scam of any type, file a complaint at indianaconsumer.com or call the Attorney General’s office at 1-800-382-5516.  

President Opposes Foreign Purchase of U.S. Steel

(Washington, D.C.) - President Joe Biden says U.S. Steel should remain an American-owned company, as Japan-based Nippon Steel is proposing to purchase U.S. Steel for close to 15 billion dollars.

 

In a statement, the president said that it’s important to maintain strong American steel companies powered by American steelworkers:

 

“I told our steelworkers I have their backs, and I meant it. U.S. Steel has been an iconic American steel company for more than a century, and it is vital for it to remain an American steel company that is domestically owned and operated."

 

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has also spoken against the proposed acquisition. In addition, the United Steelworkers union is also in opposition, saying foreign ownership could result in cheaper steel dumped here by competitors from other countries, and would jeopardize national security. 

Ground Broken for Train Station Apartment Tower

(Michigan City, IN) - A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday for a 12-story tower containing 220 apartments beside the new South Shore Railroad commuter line train station in Michigan City.

 

Flaherty & Collins Properties is the developer of what’s called THE FRANKLIN AT 11th STREET STATION in the city’s Uptown Arts District.

 

A 549-space parking garage with electric vehicle charging stations beside the tower will also go up on the 1.5-acre site at 11th and Franklin Streets. The parking garage will be available to tenants and riders before and after they step off the trains.

 

Other planned amenities include a heated swim/spa with an adjacent outdoor movie lounge, an outdoor rooftop sky lounge providing scenic views of Lake Michigan, courtyard grilling decks and fire pits, and a dog park.

 

The apartments will have LED lighting, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, a full-size washer and dryer, and private balconies on most units.

 

David Flaherty, co-owner of the Indianapolis-based development firm, said monthly rent has not been set, but should begin at about $1,500. 68 percent of the units will have one bedroom while 20 percent will contain two bedrooms. What’s left, for the most part, will be studio apartments and a few three-bedroom units, with the average size of the apartments to be close to 800 square feet.

 

Flaherty said the main level will be available for retail and other commercial establishments like a restaurant or coffee shop. He expects to draw mostly young professionals and empty nesters to the $101 million development on the site of the old South Shore commuter line train station, which was torn down.

 

“We’re happy to have anybody. We do a lot of these types of developments and the reality is that’s who we get,” he said.

 

Flaherty said a lot of the residents will likely come from Chicago to take advantage of the nearly completed South Shore commuter line double track from Gary to Michigan City. The addition of a second line is expected to reduce travel times on a train from Michigan City to Chicago by about 30 minutes.

 

Flaherty said he also expects to attract some Michigan City residents who want to stay, but don’t have much to choose from here in terms of an upgrade in their housing.

 

Construction of the tower is expected to be completed for tenants to start moving in by the fall of 2025.  Flaherty said he expects to have about 300 employees at the facility, which will generate over $800,000 in annual real estate taxes on a parcel currently generating little, if any property tax revenue.

 

In September, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for a 14-story hotel tower and 12-story condominium tower about a half mile away on U.S. 12. So far however, there’s been no actual construction on that site.

 

Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch said a half dozen other developers have expressed interest in Michigan City because of the increase in new residents and visitors that quicker travel by train is expected to bring.

 

Trains are expected to start running between Michigan City and Gary on the double track in May.

 

“This is only the beginning of something great,” she said.

Residents Stunned by Decision Not to Close School

(Kingsford Heights, IN) - The applause could have been mistaken for what’s heard from a game-winning buzzer-beater. In this case, the large crowd, surprised, if not shocked, was celebrating a decision to no longer consider shutting the doors at Kingsford Heights Elementary School.

 

“It’s exciting,” said Crystal Morton, whose son, Cameron, is a fourth grader at the school.

 

LaPorte School Corporation Interim Superintendent Dr. Peggy Hinckley made the announcement on Wednesday night before an audience of more than 200 people in attendance for a workshop session of the school board.

 

She pointed to the pleading hearts of citizens and a developer with plans to construct as many as 300 new homes in the Kingsford Heights area for the decision to no longer pursue the idea of a potential school closure.

 

“The heartfelt love that you feel for this school was so obvious that it was overwhelming to us. It caused us all to pause,” she said.

 

Closing the school was being examined as a means to help reduce deficit spending caused by an enrollment decline of about 900 students throughout the system since 2008.

 

Hinckley explained the school corporation’s budget surplus had dropped from $10.5 million to $7.3 million since 2019 because nothing has been done to offset the loss in revenue caused by dropping student head counts. The school corporation receives about $8,600 for every student, she said.

 

Another factor in the decision, perhaps, was parents vowing to send their elementary-age children to nearby Oregon Davis Schools or South Central Schools.  About 80 percent of the enrollment loss has been through school choice programs.

 

“We have options, too. I think the board made the right decision,” said Orlando Dunlap, 61, a lifelong resident of the town of about 1,300 residents. He and his children went to the school, and Dunlap's first grandchild will enroll in kindergarten there in the fall.

 

“I feel incredibly pleased and blessed that we are going to continue on with our school,” he said.

 

Kingsford Heights Elementary was the only school considered for closure because it has 117 students, or about one-third of the building’s capacity.

 

Had the school closed, Hinckley said, the students likely would have moved to Kingsbury Elementary School, where enrollment is about 290 in a building that can house up to 500 students.

 

Hinckley and members of the school board noted that the task at hand now is finding ways to gain more students than losing to school choice programs.

 

Board member Jennifer Farlie said that the residents being listened to and choosing not to close the school could have been the first step to making the school corporation a more attractive option for parents.

 

Farlie said the best solution might be overcoming a shortage of bus drivers, a challenge for many school districts nationwide. There have been problems with delays in students getting to and from school when too many drivers fail to report for work due to sickness or other reasons.

 

“We’re really trying to hone in on that and to fix that. From my understanding, that’s why a lot of our students go to Oregon-Davis,” she said.

Bigger Problems for Speeding in School Zone

(Michigan City, IN) - A man speeding in a school zone in the Michigan City area was found to have never received a driver’s license.

 

According to La Porte County Police, Daki Muhammad, 23, of Michigan City clocked in at 47 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour school zone at about 10 a.m. on Monday in the area of Pahs Road and Woodland Avenue.

 

He was reportedly being difficult with the officer asking for his driver’s license and vehicle registration. Eventually, he provided some identification through his slightly rolled-down driver’s side window, and a computer check verified by the dispatcher revealed that he had never received a driver’s license.

 

He was given a summons to appear in court on a misdemeanor charge of Operating a Vehicle Without Ever Receiving a Valid Driver’s License. He was also ticketed for Speeding and a child restraint seat violation, with a child under eight years of age in his back seat reportedly not in a proper child restraint seat.  

Local Farmers Deliver Donated Hay to Texas

(La Porte County, IN) - Some LaPorte County farmers have returned from the Texas panhandle after delivering close to 200 bales of donated hay to wildfire-stricken cattle ranchers.

 

Brett Kessler, who raises beef, sheep, and hay along with corn and soybeans, said seeing the destruction and hardship on the faces of cattle ranchers weighed heavily on his heart.

 

It also did his heart some good, though, knowing he had helped in some way.

 

“When you get to talk to the producers and tell them, 'Hey, you’re not alone, we’re thinking about you,' it goes a long way,” he said.

 

Kessler was in a convoy of four semis pulling trailers containing anywhere from 38 to 48 bales of hay. The other trucks were driven by Adam Stoner, Blake Johnson, and Carson Barrickman, who are also farmers in La Porte County.

 

The bales of hay from several farmers were brought to the La Porte County Fairgrounds and loaded into the trucks, which left late Saturday night. It took them about 18 hours to reach Pampa, which is near Amarillo, to have their trailers unloaded.

 

“A lot of burned-up fence. A lot of burned-up structures. It was kind of surreal to come over a ridge to see black as far as the eye can see,” Kessler said.

 

Reports indicate more than one million acres in Texas and over 30,000 acres in Oklahoma have been burned since late February in what’s been the largest wildfire in Texas history. An estimated 15,000 head of cattle have also perished as a result.

 

According to published reports, about 90 percent of the fire is now contained.

 

“We did not see any active fire lines where we were at,” Kessler said.

 

The hay is needed for farmers to feed their cattle since what they eat on the ground is now mostly charred, and it could be several months before new sprouts emerging from the soil reach maturity. Despite the dry conditions, Kessler said he saw a little regrowth of the vegetation already while he was there.

 

“You can see signs of life coming back. They really could use some moisture to help get that going. Right now, they don’t have that,” he said.

School Board Meeting Tonight at Kingsford Heights

(Kingsford Heights, IN) - There could be a large turnout of residents opposed to the potential closure of Kingsford Heights Elementary School during a workshop session of the school board in the community tonight.

 

The meeting is set for 6 p.m. at Kingsford Heights Elementary School.

 

The choice to close the school is being seriously considered to help reduce operating expenses caused by enrollment decline over the past 15 years or so throughout the school corporation.

 

Orlando Dunlap, a lifelong resident, said he and his children went to the school and looked forward to having grandchildren in the building. He expects a few hundred people to be in attendance in a show of unity to try and keep the school open.

 

“It would devastate the town. Hopefully, they’ll take the other alternative that they can take rather than close our school,” he said.

 

According to school officials, the building is only at about one-third of its 350-student capacity.

 

However, Dunlap said some of the drop in student headcount there is due to all 5th graders being transferred to the Intermediate School at the Kesling campus when that school opened several years ago. He noted how new houses built and occupied by families with children in recent years in the Kingsford Heights area, with more new homes on the way, will help raise the number of students at the school.

 

If the school is closed, Dunlap said, a lot of parents have vowed to send their grade school children to other districts like South Central and Oregon Davis, which would mean a further drop in enrollment and money for the school district.

 

“We have options, too,” he said.

 

The school district has lost about 900 students over the past 15 years or so, with a majority of that decline from school choice.

 

Interim Schools Superintendent Dr. Peggy Hinckley said the workshop session was scheduled for Kingsford Heights to give the community a chance to offer as much input as possible before a final decision is made.

 

A final decision on the possible school closure is expected on March 19.  

Zig-Zagging Driver Allegedly Impaired by THC

(La Porte County, IN) - A man driving very erratically with three young children in his car on U.S. 30 near Wanatah was allegedly impaired by marijuana.

 

Juan Smith, 25, of Knox has been charged with Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated, upgraded to a Level 6 felony because the lives of his children, ages 7, 5, and 1, were considered endangered by his alleged actions.

 

According to La Porte County Police, he was spotted by an officer on Tuesday night driving over the fog line, speeding up and slowing down, and being all over the roadway while having his high-beam headlights on. During a traffic stop, authorities discovered Smith had not consumed any alcohol. However, a test of his body fluids allegedly revealed Smith was “impaired by cannabis.” 

 

Police said Smith admitted ingesting THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, through a vaping device.

 

Officers began working to secure a ride for the children and their mother after Smith was taken to the LaPorte County Jail.

Highway Reopen After Trailer Collapse

(La Porte County, IN) - A stretch of state highway in La Porte County is back open after a trailer on a semi-truck hauling cargo collapsed late yesterday afternoon, leaving Indiana 39 between U.S. 6 and Young Road closed for about four hours, as per the sheriff's office.

 

After 4:30 p.m., officers were called following a trailer, hauling more than 45,000 pounds of topsoil and manure, buckling at the Canadian National Railroad crossing in the Union Mills area.

 

Capt. Derek Allen said the driver, with the middle of the trailer dragging the pavement, was able to pull forward to get it off the crossing.

 

Initially, Allen said, one lane was closed, but later both lanes were closed to allow for the load to be removed from the trailer, which had its rear wheels raised in the air. It was then removed from the highway.  Indiana 39 reopened before 10 p.m., with no injuries reported over the course of the incident.

 

The driver, Gregory Noerr, 54, told investigators he just received 15 pallets of bagged topsoil and one pallet of compost manure from Markman Peat Corporation at the nearby Kingsbury Industrial Park. 

 

The police report also notes that Noerr told investigators he believed how his trailer was loaded was the primary reason for the collapse.

 

Allen said that no official cause has been determined.

Upcoming NIPSCO Hearing in La Porte

(La Porte, IN) - NIPSCO electricity customers are invited to comment on the utility’s pending electric generation proposal, as the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) will hold a public hearing on Thursday at the La Porte Civic Auditorium at 1001 Ridge Street.

 

The hearing will start at 6:00 p.m. and will go over NIPSCO’s proposed electric generating facility in Jasper County.

 

The Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor is inviting written public comments on NIPSCO’s request through April 9th.

 

The OUCC – the state agency representing consumer interests in cases before the IURC – is using its technical and legal resources to review NIPSCO’s proposal.

 

Formal testimony from the OUCC is due April 16th.

Bears Choose Chicago Over La Porte

(La Porte, IN) - Dreams of the Chicago Bears relocating to the City of La Porte appear to be over, but La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody said what might have seemed like a one-in-a-million chance of landing the team was worth the effort.

 

“You’re only in the game if you’re in there pitching, so we’ll continue to have big ideas,” he said.

 

The Bears organization recently announced plans to have a domed stadium built just south of their current home, Soldier Field, leading to considerable speculation that the Bears would move outside Chicago to the suburb of Arlington Heights, where the organization purchased more than 300 acres of land just over a year ago.

 

However, according to ESPN, the Bears are willing to contribute $2 billion toward the construction of a publicly owned domed stadium just a short walk from Soldier Field, the smallest stadium in the NFL.

 

Late last year, Dermody and La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership Executive Bert Cook reached out to the Bears about being considered for the site of their new stadium. Cook said he and Dermody spoke to Bears representatives on the phone and through e-mails about the benefits of moving to La Porte.

 

“We just talked about our community and what we have to offer,” Cook said.

 

Cook said no specific locations for a stadium were shared because the city wanted to know if the Bears were interested before taking that next step. However, many people believe the only location for such a large venue in La Porte would be along the Indiana Toll Road for easy access in an area the city is close to annexing.

 

Cook said the odds of attracting the Bears might have been just as long as winning a major lottery drawing, but it didn’t hurt to give it a shot.

 

“You never know what is possible until you try. At the end of the day, what is the worst that someone can say? No, we’re not interested then we’re no worse off than we are today,” he said.

Arrest of Sneaky Slot Machine Thief

(Michigan City, IN) - A La Porte man has been accused of stealing from a casino, as Joseph France, 48, has been charged in La Porte Superior Court 4 with Theft and Cheating at Hambling, both Level 6 felonies.

 

On January 30th, a woman had about $70 in credits at the slot machine she was playing at Blue Chip Casino.  At some point, she left the slot machine to see how her husband was doing at the slots. That’s when France allegedly moved in and took the voucher from her slot machine, before cashing it and leaving the casino, according to court documents.

 

Authorities said France was quickly identified as the suspect due to his physical description and past encounters with law enforcement.

 

He was booked in the La Porte County Jail on March 4th and is still being held without bond due to his alleged criminal acts violating the terms of his probation.

Drugs Linked to Two County Chase

(La Porte County, IN) - Drugs were involved in a high-speed pursuit that began in La Porte County over the weekend.

 

According to Indiana State Police, a trooper attempted to stop a driver for erratic driving on the Indiana Toll Road outside La Porte late Saturday morning. The driver, reaching speeds topping 120 miles per hour, was passing vehicles on the shoulder at times.

 

Troopers were still in pursuit in the South Bend area when the driver crashed while trying to negotiate a sharply curved exit ramp at speeds too high to accommodate.

 

The driver, Randy George, 40, allegedly tested positive for cocaine. Police said his wife suffered a broken leg and possibly a fractured back.

 

According to police, there were drugs and paraphernalia recovered from the vehicle, and further investigation also indicated that George, who is from Maryland, has an addiction to heroin and fentanyl.

 

He is being held in the La Porte County Jail on $15,000 bond.

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