(Michigan City, IN) - A petition drive is underway to try and cancel the memory of a former public official in Michigan City serving a 100 year prison sentence for child molesting.

Michigan City resident Carlie Dunn is collecting the signatures to bolster her chances when she takes her request before the Michigan City Park Department and the Michigan City Port Authority in the coming weeks.

Specifically, Dunn is requesting the name of John Rudisell be removed from plaques including those marking the construction of the bathhouse at Washington Park Beach and nearby Millennium Plaza along Trail Creek.

Rudisell was the city’s Port Authority Harbormaster when charged and later given two 50-year prison sentences in 2001 to be served consecutively on two Class A felony counts of child molesting.

According to authorities, it’s believed Rudisell actually had close to 20 male victims during at least a 13-year period, including some boys molested dozens of times.

“I think this is something the community can get behind,” she said.

Authorities said the now 64-year old Rudisell lured the boys by asking their parents if they could perform yard work on his Michigan City area farm where he kept exotic animals like Bengal Tigers.  The parents trusted Rudisell because of his position as harbormaster and reputation as a stellar member of the community.

Rudisell was also an adult volunteer with the LaPorte County 4-H program.

Dunn, 33, said she never heard of Rudisell or the plaques until recently.  She quickly decided it’s not right for him to continue being honored and his name remaining an open source of shame for the community.

Dunn said her concern is mostly about the impact on his victims if they happen to see his name on the plaques during any trips they might take to the lakefront.

“I wouldn’t want that person to be reminded of the horrific abuse they’ve had to endure,” she said.

In 2004, Ron Meer said he was on the city council when approached by relatives of some victims asking for the removal of Rudisell’s name.

Meer said he later presented a resolution calling for the removal and it was unanimously passed by the city council but the name, for whatever reason, was never eliminated from the markers.  At the time, Meer said he received extreme “pushback” from board members with the Port Authority and Park Department, who felt removing Rudisell’s name would be “altering history.”

Meer said the issue seemed to have been mostly forgotten by the time he became mayor about eight-years later and was never revisited during his two four-year terms.  He expressed support for Dunn’s efforts.

“This guy does not in any way, shape or form deserve to be on any monument with recognition,” he said.

According to authorities, Rudisell paid the boys as much as $150 to engage in sex acts that sometimes involved more than one boy at a time.  He also seduced them with alcohol, marijuana and pornographic movies, authorities said.

Dunn also said her request is a chance for the city to save face years later and make things right with the victims.

“What does that say about us as a community that we’re still memorializing this individual?  I think we should be on the side of the victim and think about what that does to them.  How does that make them feel,” she said.

Dunn said her plan is to go before the Port Authority Board with her request on August 3 and Park Board on August 5.

Currently, Rudisell is downstate in the Pendleton Correctional Facility, according to the Indiana Department of Correction.  His earliest release date is listed as February 21, 2050.

(La Porte, IN) - A ribbon cutting is scheduled for the new location of Giggles Boutique & Community Closet in downtown La Porte.

The new, permanent location is at 321 Lincolnway.  The community is invited to the ribbon cutting ceremony on July 22 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Founded in 2024, Giggles Boutique & Community Closet provides children in need with clothing, personal care items, school supplies and other essential resources. Giggles has served more than 2,000 families and distributed over 150,000 items to children and caregivers since opening.

During the ceremony, guests will be invited to tour the boutique and community closet, meet volunteers and board members, learn more about the organization’s mission and enjoy light refreshments.

Giggles Boutique supports its Community Closet through the sale of handcrafted soaps, gifts, and boutique merchandise.

“This new space allows us to welcome more families, engage more volunteers and continue growing our mission of providing dignity, comfort, and stability to children in need,” said Abby Vogel, Executive Director.

The event is free and open to the public.

(La Porte County, IN) - One of four people injured when their motorcycles were struck a car in La Porte County has died.

Ryan Harrison, 42, was operating a 2021 Harley Davidson motorcycle struck from behind Saturday, June 11 by a 2005 Mazda passenger vehicle on U.S. 421 in Wanatah, according to La Porte County Police.

Police said the car also hit a 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle traveling in front of Harrison.  Harrison and his passenger, Amber Harrison, 41, were airlifted to Memorial Hospital in South Bend.

Mr. Harrison succumbed to his injuries the next day, police said.

The driver of the other motorcycle, Levi Bridges, 42, and his passenger Amber Bridges, 41, were taken by ambulance with undisclosed injuries.  All of the motorcyclists were from the Lafayette area.

The driver of the car, Daniel Quiroz, 19, of Portage was not injured.

Investigators were waiting for the results of blood tests to determine if alcohol or drugs were factors in the collisions.

(La Porte County, IN) - An annual fund raiser for scholarships during the La Porte County Fair will go toward a La Porte County Sheriff’s Deputy recovering from gunshot wounds.

Traditionally, the guitar used by the headline performer during the fair is auctioned off with the proceeds going to scholarships.

Fair Manager Don Stoner said three $1,500 scholarships were awarded last year from the proceeds.

This year, Stoner said the guitar used by country music star Dylan Scott, who performs in the grandstands Thursday night, will go out for bids with the proceeds going to help officer Jon Samuelson and his family.

Currently, Samuelson, 33, is in a rehabilitation facility after shot in May by a gunman at Franciscan Health outside Michigan City.

The suspect, Sharrod Grafton, Jr., 22, of Chicago is charged with attempted murder.

Police said Samuelson stopped to assist Grafton, who he thought was a disabled motorist, and took him to the hospital as requested.  Samuelson left but soon returned after informed Grafton was a suspect in the theft of his mother’s car at gunpoint.

The officer was shot three times during a scuffle with the suspect in the emergency room area of the hospital.

(La Porte County, IN) - It appears a man who shot a police officer multiple times was hit by one of the rounds returned by the officer before taking his own life with a gunshot.

La Porte County Coroner Lynn Swanson said an autopsy shows Kevin Meyers, 54, suffered a gunshot wound to the back apparently fired by the officer during a gunfire exchange.  She said the bullet from the officer apparently went through the back of the cab of the stolen pick-up truck Meyers was driving and the seat he was in before entering his back.
             

Swanson said he then fled to the area of Joliet Road and Wozniak Road where the wounded Meyers stepped out of the truck and entered a corn field.   That's where he was later found deceased from a single shot to the chest fired from his AK-15 assault rifle.

She said the bullet in the back lodged in some fatty tissue was not a factor in his death.

Berrien County Sheriff Chuck Heit said the Friday morning chase began near Four Winds Casino outside New Buffalo when a police officer tried stopping him for driving a suspected stolen vehicle.

He said the pursuit ventured the short distance into Indiana on some side roads before returning to Michigan where the suspect fled westbound on Interstate 94.  At one point, Heit said the fleeing driver stuck the barrel of what was described as a rifle out the driver’s side window and fired at least one shot.

Heit said officers from Michigan stayed with the pursuit across the state line until law enforcement from multiple departments in Indiana were positioned to take over the chase.

“Once it went into Indiana further and they had enough units, we backed off and continued to monitor it but it never came back close to Michigan,” he said.

Several minutes later, the pursuit went southbound on U.S. 421 near Michigan City where a collision between the suspect and state trooper soon happened outside a Speedway station.

ISP Sgt. Glen Fifield said numerous shots rang out, including some by the officer returning fire.

The officer, Sgt. Justin Heflin, 40, was airlifted to Memorial Hospital in South Bend where he was listed in stable condition prior to surgery.

After the gunfire exchange, Fifield said more than 100 officers were involved in a manhunt for the suspect whose pick-up truck was located with help from a police helicopter.

Swanson said Meyers was driving a pick-up truck stolen the previous day from a Michigan City car dealership.   She said he removed a license plate from another vehicle at the casino and placed it on the stolen pick-up truck just before the pursuit.

According to court records, Meyers was serving a three year sentence on work release in La Porte County for auto theft.  A warrant was recently issued for his arrest for failing to return to the work release facility at night as required.

(La Porte County, IN) - The La Porte County Clerk’s Office is closed today.

It was for the funeral services of a deputy clerk who died in a house fire near Hanna early on the Fourth of July.

Kathryn Zabel was 23.

A gathering was held yesterday at South Central High School where Zabel graduated.  La Porte County Commissioner Joe Haney was there because Zabel was a friend of his daughter and family.

“It was very heartwarming to see the community turn out to support and visit the Zabel family.  Our hearts go out to them and they continue to be in our prayers,” he said.

Funeral services were held late this morning at Cutler Funeral Home and Cremation Center in La Porte.

Authorities said Zabel was found deceased in an upstairs bedroom.

So far, the cause of the fire remains under investigation but a lightning strike was one of the possibilities being looked into due to storms leading up to the blaze.

(La Porte County, IN) - A Chicago area man was allegedly impaired while leading police on a high-speed chase that ended with his arrest in Michigan City.

Jakobi Kinsey, 27, is charged with operating while intoxicated and resisting law enforcement.

According to La Porte County Police, a four vehicle crash with a serious injury happened about 4:30 a.m. Saturday on Interstate 94. 

Police said the entire interstate at the 33 mile marker was closed but Kinsey drove around all of the police vehicles with their flashing lights activated at the scene of the crash.  A sheriff’s deputy pursued the vehicle at more than 100 miles per hour.

Police said Kinsey veered northbound on U.S. 421 and soon turned into the parking lot of McDonalds where he began walking away from the vehicle when he complied with commands to lay down on the ground.

An odor of alcohol was detected on his breath.  Kinsey was arrested when he refused to submit to a certified blood alcohol test, police said.

(La Porte, IN) - A 19 year old driver is accused of being intoxicated when his car wound up stuck on some railroad tracks in La Porte early Sunday.

Yavarion Rice of North Liberty is charged with operating while intoxicated and minor consumption of alcohol.

According to La Porte County Police, the car driven by Rice somehow wound up between two sets of tracks about 3 a.m. at the crossing near Boston and Factory streets. 

Rice told investigators he was driving when he lost sight of the roadway, police said. His alleged blood alcohol level was .165-percent or slightly more two times the legal limit.

(New Carlisle, IN) - A fire at a scrap metal facility east of New Carlisle kept multiple fire departments busy for many hours earlier this week. The fire department there has released more details.

On Tuesday around 2:30 Central time, fire broke out at OmniSource on Smilax Rd. Over the course of the afternoon, nearly two dozen emergency units from 10 fire departments responded. They were on scene for over eight hours.

According to the New Carlisle Fire Department, first responders immediately observed a large column of smoke and requested additional resources, including tanker support for a water shuttle operation. Water was hauled in so as to avoid overwhelming the town's water system. Crews also used Hamilton Grove’s private water system for the filling of tankers.

The metals shredding and recycling operation on Smilax Rd. south of U.S. 20 was the scene of multiple large fire in past years. Authorities say a new owner, OmniSource, instituted additional safety procedures to reduce the frequency and severity of these incidents since taking over the facility in 2020. The last incident of this magnitude there occurred in 2021.

Below is a list of agencies responding to Tuesday's blaze:

Indiana agencies assisting included:

• Saint Joseph County 9-1-1
• Saint Joseph County Fire Territory
• Clay Fire Territory
• Centre Township Fire Department
• Liberty Township Fire Department
• Kankakee Township Fire Department
• Lincoln Township Fire Department

Michigan agencies assisting included:

• Galien Township Fire Department
• Bertrand Township Fire Department
• Weesaw Township Fire Department

According to NCFD authorities, the coordinated efforts of all responding agencies helped bring this incident to a safe conclusion and prevent injuries during a prolonged and resource-intensive operation.

(Indianapolis, IN) - The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles has addressed a misconception about the state’s popular Blackout license plate.

Rumor has it that the special black-and-white plates are easier for automated license plate readers, or Flock cameras, to scan than any other Indiana plate.

Officials with the BMV and Indiana State Police say this is not so.

Over 240,000 Hoosier vehicles have switched to Blackout plates, since the option became available about a year ago.

Public sentiment has soured on the use of AI-powered video surveillance. Some people say the cameras pick up and store a little too much information about their everyday comings and goings.

The Michigan City Police Department hosted an informational meeting on the topic over a week ago. In the past week, Flock cameras have been used to solve serious crimes in this area: a fatal Starke County hit and run and a child abduction near Plymouth.

(Marshall County, IN) - Police rescued a child abducted from a Marshall County home earlier this week.

On Tuesday around 11:40 a.m. EDT, a baby was reported missing from a residence just east of Plymouth. Police said the 3-month-old baby boy was taken while the parents were home, but offered no other details.

Twelve agencies, from local child services and polices to federal authorities, worked to track down the suspect’s car, a blue 2017 Cadillac.

By just after 2:00 p.m. the suspect, a 45-year-old Gary woman named Bobbie Jo Novak of Gary, and the baby were located in a Merrillville grocery store parking lot. Novak was taken into custody without incident, police said. The baby was unharmed.

“We got a win. We don’t always get a win, but we got one yesterday,” said Indiana State Police Lt. Tony Slocum. “This was the result of swift, professional, cooperative police work.” Slocum also noted the integral role that Flock cameras played in locating the kidnapper’s vehicle.

On Friday Novak was formally charged in Marshall County Superior Court 3 with two Level 5 Felony Kidnapping charges.

(La Porte County, IN) - New details have been revealed regarding the police shooting that took place in La Porte County Friday morning.

A state police trooper, now identified as 40-year-old Sgt. Justin Heflin, was shot multiple times in the parking lot of the Speedway gas station on U.S. 421 south of I-94 in Michigan City around 7 a.m. Friday.

The shootout was the culmination of a police chase from Berrien County, Michigan of a reportedly stolen vehicle. Reports indicate the suspect, now identified as 54-year-old Kevin Meyers of La Porte, was driving a 2019 Ford F-150 pickup and allegedly pointed and fired a rifle at officers in pursuit.

More gunfire broke out at the Speedway when the truck was brought to a stop. According to ISP, Meyers opened fire from inside his truck, striking Sgt. Heflin  and his squad car multiple times. A fellow trooper drove Heflin to nearby Franciscan Hospital, from which he was transferred to South Bend Memorial.

Meanwhile, Myers took off in his truck. With more than 100 officers and a Lake County Sheriff’s helicopter involved in a manhunt, Myers’ pickup was located along a tree line near Westville in the area of Joliet Road and Wozniak Road.  According to ISP, more shots rang out during the search before the suspect was found deceased by a tactical unit a few hours later in a cornfield in that same area.

Police said Myers suffered gunshot wounds. They don’t know right now if they were self-inflicted or from shots fired by officers. An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday morning.

Heflin, a Michigan City High School graduate, was an active-duty Marine for eight years prior to becoming a state trooper 12 years ago. Police said he underwent successful surgery and is in stable condition surrounded by family.

(La Porte, IN) - Plans to develop a La Porte golf course into new housing has stalled.

La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody said it became clear about two weeks ago the housing developer, Lennar, and the Briar Leaf Golf Course property owners were not going to reach an agreement without some level of investment and participation from the city.

He said this came several months after representatives from the city worked diligently to help bring the project along.

“After much deliberation, I have made the decision to walk away from this project. If Lennar and Briar Leaf are able to reach an agreement on their own, we would be more than happy to resume our work to assist in the project,” he said.  

"Though housing is a top priority for this administration – like it is for many administrations across the region and state – we have a responsibility to the tax paying citizens of La Porte to be good stewards with their money. We will continue our efforts to improve the availability of housing in our community without doing so at the expense of our residents," he said.

The golf course has been closed, so far, this season because of the plans to convert the 18 hole course into new housing.

(La Porte County, IN) - An Indiana State Police trooper was shot multiple times Friday near Michigan City by a man later found dead from gunshots during a manhunt.

The shooting happened about 7 a.m. outside a Speedway station on U.S. 421 just south of Interstate 94.

ISP Sgt. Glen Fifield said the suspect was chased on Interstate 94 from somewhere in Berrien County, Michigan after he failed to pull over for driving a pick-up truck reported stolen.  The trooper joined the chase after it crossed into Indiana.

Several minutes later, Fifield said the chase veered onto U.S. 421 where soon there was a collision between the trooper and suspect.  Fifield said numerous shots rang out, including some by the officer returning fire.

The officer was rushed to nearby Franciscan Health hospital and later airlifted to Memorial Hospital in South Bend where he was listed in stable condition prior to surgery.

“I can report he is in good spirits at the moment,” he said.

Fifield said whether the suspect and officer were out of their vehicles during the gunfire exchange was still under investigation.

More than 20 yellow evidence markers were placed mostly in the Speedway parking lot close to the highway.  Police said many of those markers represented the spot where empty shell casings were found.

Following the gunfire exchange, Fifield said more than 100 officers were involved in a manhunt for the suspect whose pick-up truck was located along a tree line with help from a police helicopter near Westville in the area of Joliet Road and Wozniak Road.  Fifield said more shots rang out during the search before the suspect was found deceased a few hours later in a cornfield in that same area.

The manhunt included the use of drones with cameras along with K-9 dogs.

“All of the resources were being used during the search for him,” he said.

Fifield said who fired the shots suffered by the suspect will be left up to the La Porte County Coroner’s Office to decide after reviewing evidence from the autopsy and police investigation.

The suspected stolen vehicle was discovered by a police officer in the New Buffalo area who tried stopping the driver, who fled a short distance into Indiana on some side roads before winding up on Interstate 94, said Berrien County Sheriff Chuck Heit.

Heit said the suspect early in the pursuit fired a shot from what was described as a rifle he stuck out the window of the vehicle before leaving Michigan.  He said officers from Michigan discontinued the pursuit once law enforcement from multiple agencies in Indiana took over.

“We were involved for a short period at the beginning then stayed available just in case it came back,” he said. 

Fifield said the name of the wounded officer will be released at some point but wasn’t right away out of respect for him and his family.  The name of the suspect and where he is from was also not immediately disclosed.

(La Porte County, IN)  A state police trooper was shot this morning in La Porte County.

It happened about 7 a.m. at the Speedway station just south of Interstate 94 outside Michigan City.  Police say the trooper was rushed to a local hospital.

The condition of the officer was not released.

So far, authorities have not revealed any further details.

However, judging by police radio traffic, it appears there is an active search for the suspect with drones and a police helicopter involved.  The vehicle driven by the suspect seems to have been found in the area of Wozniak Road and Joliet

Road.

There are published reports that a witness heard seven shots.  We’ll provide more details as they’re made available.

(New Buffalo, MI) - Lights are now up at a baseball field where high-ranking college players hoping to make the major leagues will play in New Buffalo beginning next summer.

There are still a lot of things to do before the first pitch such as choosing the nickname of the team, which hasn’t been easy to avoid potential federal copyright infringements, said Brian Williams, a primary owner of the team and scout for the Texas Rangers.

Many people locally want the nickname to be Bison.

Bison was the beloved nickname of the middle school and high school athletic teams until the New Buffalo and River Valley school districts merged their sports programs in recent years and chose Red Arrow Raiders as the full name of their squads.

The first name of the college summer league team with nearly 40 home games planned from late May to mid-August is Dune Coast.

The nickname is down to four finalists, not including Bison, though.

Williams said there could be a potential copyright violation if the nickname was the same as other sports teams like the AAA minor league baseball team, Buffalo Bison.

In addition, Williams said the goal from the beginning has been to trademark the nickname and logo for using them exclusively on team jerseys and other merchandise planned to be offered commercially.

Another objective has been to have a nickname that reflects Lake Michigan and the surrounding area for marketing the team to a more regional audience in southwest Michigan and northwest Indiana since New Buffalo is close to the state line.

“We wanted something that depicted the beach and the recreation all of us enjoy but you also have to find something that’s not used currently,” he said.

He said more than 150 nicknames were suggested from La Porte to Valparaiso and St. Joseph during a recent online contest, but many of those were ruled out due to a concern about potential lawsuits.  

One of the nicknames still in the running is Breakers, featuring a character resembling a Bison on a surfboard.  Breakers are waves toppling over after reaching a certain height similar to whitecaps.  Whitecaps was ruled out since that is the nickname of a minor league baseball team in Grand Rapids and so was Waverunners, which is copyrighted by Yamaha for their personal watercrafts.

The remaining nicknames still under consideration are Lightning, Phantoms and Quillbacks.

Williams said Phantoms represents the shipwrecks on Lake Michigan, including one from the 1800’s near the Galien River.  Quillbacks are like porcupines Native Americans in the area once used for their pointed quills they placed in headdresses and other merchandise.

Williams said he hopes the nickname is chosen by no later than early August.

“We’re going to pick one we feel is best suited for going forward,” he said.

The games will be played at the new high school baseball park featuring the latest in artificial turf in the infield and the type of natural grass in the outfield used in several major league stadiums.

There’s also a built-in sprinkler system used every morning to provide water to the still young grass, which held up very well during the recent high school baseball season.

Electrical wiring must still be run to the lights put up in late June.  Once that is done,  Williams said the lighting will be top quality and stay on the field without drifting over to nearby residences.  He said extra money was spent on the lights “to make sure we’re being good neighbors to the people that live around there.”

One of the next steps likely in the fall will be constructing grandstand seating with fold-back chairs for 500 or more people with have stadium access to food and beverages, including alcohol, for those 21 and over.

Williams said fund raising is also occurring in hopes of obtaining a matching $75,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to help cover the costs of the seating.

The team will be in the Northwoods League, which has had over 400 players make it to the major leagues since established in the early 1990’s.  The league has teams from Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and other states from as far away as North Dakota.

The lights and the golf course looking playing surface seem to have already provided a Field of Dreams look to what’s being converted into a small minor league stadium.

“It looks great.  We’re really excited about where it is,” Williams said.

(Chicago, IL) - A rare earthquake in Lake Michigan was recorded yesterday afternoon.

The earthquake happened about 13 miles northeast of Evanston, Illinois.   It measured just 2.9 on the Richter scale but many Chicago residents reported feeling the quake.

Fortunately, there were no reports of injury or major damage.

(Michigan City, IN) - A Michigan City woman is out to cancel the memory of a former official serving practically a life sentence for child molesting.

John Rudisell, who was the Michigan City harbormaster, has been in prison for 25 years.  Authorities said the molestations occurred after he lured numerous boys to his home over an extended period of time.

Rudisell was also heavily involved as a volunteer with the La Porte County 4-H program.

His name remains on a few plaques like the one at the public bath house at Washington Park beach marking the role of Rudisell and others in its construction in 1995. 

Resident Carlie Dunn, 33, said she just learned last week about the plaques and what Rudisell was convicted of doing.  Dunn said she will ask the Michigan City Park Department and the Port Authority to remove his name.

“I think this is something the community can get behind,” she said.

Dunn said she’s mostly concerned about the impact on Rudisell’s many victims if they still live around here and see his name if they go to the beach along with the negative message about continuing to honor such a man if it were to continue.

“I wouldn’t want that person to be reminded of the horrific abuse they’ve had to endure,” she said.

Rudisell, now 64, is serving his time at the state-run correctional facility in Pendleton.  His earliest release date is in February of 2050, according to the Indiana Department of Correction.

(La Porte, IN) - Drug charges have been filed in connection with a vehicle stopped by La Porte Police for having a shattered windshield.

Taylor Brown, 29, is charged in La Porte Circuit with Level 6 felony possession of methamphetamine and Class B misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

According to the charging information, a police officer on July 2 stopped the vehicle for having a shattered windshield obstructing the driver’s view in the area of Erie and Park streets.

A K-9 dog conducting an air sniff outside the vehicle detected the presence of drugs, which led to a search of the vehicle and discovery of a plastic bag containing suspected methamphetamine next to where Brown was in the front passenger seat.

Police said a plastic bag of marijuana along with a marijuana product were recovered from her purse.

(Lake County, IN) - A teenager was allegedly drunk while leading police on a high speed chase exceeding 130 miles per hour this morning in Northwest Indiana.

Osvaldo Saavedra Facundo, 18, of Rensselaer was being held on preliminary charges of operating while intoxicated, reckless driving, resisting law enforcement and minor consumption of alcohol.

Police said a trooper suspecting he was intoxicated tried pulling him over but Facundo fled, shutting his headlights off and on, periodically, to try and avoid capture.  There were other unsafe maneuvers, including passing on the right shoulder, that nearly caused collisions with a trooper and at least one other motorist.

The pursuit was in Jasper County when a trooper executed a technique that caused the fleeing vehicle to spin and roll over in the median.  The suspect’s alleged blood alcohol level was not revealed.

Police said Facundo did not have a driver’s license, only a learner’s permit.

(Michigan City, IN) - The efforts of a pro football player to help people in his hometown of Michigan City are not going unrecognized.

Braden Fiske recently held his second annual Family Fun Day at Ames Field.   The activities included bounce houses, a dunk tank, food trucks and live music along with raffles to raise money for the school sports programs.

During last night’s city council meeting, Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch responded to his work in the community, including a recent fund raiser for the local branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs.

“I think that’s a testament to the kids and the young people we build in the community,” she said.

Fiske, a former football star at Michigan City High School, is a starting defensive lineman for the Los Angeles Rams.

(La Porte, IN) - Three nurses buried in La Porte after serving in the Civil War will be recognized in the coming weeks.

A ceremony of remembrance and dedication is scheduled at 11 a.m. on July 25 at Pine Lake Cemetery.  The nurses to be honored are Mary Jane Andrew, Mary L. Robinson and Viola H. Andrew Cochran, according to the La Porte County Historical Society.

The event will be hosted by the John Auten Camp #8 Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

(Chesterton, IN) - The South Shore commuter line has announced an official partnership with the Pullman National Historic Park and the Friends of Pullman National Historic Park to participate in this year’s highly anticipated Pullman Railroad Days event, taking place on July 25th and 26th.

This year’s celebration holds special historical significance, focusing on the 100th anniversary of the electrification of the Illinois Central Railroad (now known as the Metra Electric District).

Prior to the electrification of the Illinois Central, South Shore Line passengers were required to transfer trains at 111th Street to reach downtown Chicago. Following the historic electrification project, the South Shore Line ordered new Interurban cars from the Pullman company and was able to offer direct service into downtown, marking a vital milestone in the railroad’s operational history and regional economic growth. At the time, the railroad also converted its electrical distribution system from 6,600 AC to 1,500 DC to be compatible with the Illinois Central’s system. 

To celebrate this milestone, The South Shore Line has partnered with Metra, Hesston Steam Museum, and Cedar Lake Historical Associated to display a newly-refurbished passenger car fitted with interactive historical exhibits for the event.

"We are thrilled to partner with these organizations to celebrate a century of electrification," said Nicole Barker, Chief Experience and Engagement Officer at the South Shore line.

"This event is a fantastic opportunity for families, rail enthusiasts, and history buffs to step inside a piece of living history and see firsthand how our rail system shaped the communities we serve today," she said.  

The Pullman Railroad Days event is open to the public. While there is no charge to tour the South Shore Line passenger car, attendees are encouraged to explore the full array of activities offered throughout the historic Pullman neighborhood.

For more information regarding the Pullman Railroad Days event, scheduling, and ticketing for other festival activities, please visit friendsofpullman.com/special-events/. 

(La Porte County, IN) - A La Porte County woman was scammed by a phone caller pretending to be with the sheriff’s office.

According to police, the call was about her having warrants for her arrest for not appearing for jury duty but she would not be arrested if she sent a $3,000 payment.

Police said she wound up sending $1,000 in two separate payments using Apple Pay and a gift card.  She then called to confirm the payment was received but received no answer.

Police said people receiving such calls should not send money because the sheriff’s office does not operate in such a fashion.

(La Porte County, IN) - A man is recovering from serious injuries from crashing on his dirt bike in the Michigan City area.

Imre Falatovics, 36, was airlifted on July 3 to Memorial Hospital in South Bend with two broken legs and other possible injuries, according to La Porte County Police.

Police said it appears Falatovics was traveling on 400 West in Springfield Township when he failed to negotiate a curve and wound up in a ditch containing heavy vegetation.  Emergency responders located him on his back in the ditch near his 2001 Suzuki dirt bike.

He complained of pain in both of his swollen legs along with pain to the head and neck. 

According to police, the case has been presented to prosecutors for possible filing of charges of operating a motor vehicle as a habitual traffic violator, a Level 6 felony.