(La Porte County, IN) - A Chicago area man could face time in prison for allegedly driving impaired on drugs while heading the wrong way on the Indiana Toll Road in La Porte County.

Kamal Abdallah, 51, was arrested Wednesday night on charges of operating while intoxicated, reckless driving and possession of a controlled substance.

According to Indiana State Police, he was westbound in the eastbound lanes outside La Porte and heading toward a trooper monitoring traffic.  Several drivers had to take evasive action to avoid collisions.

During a traffic stop, police said pills identified as a controlled substance were found along with a THC vape pen.

(La Porte County, IN) - A company is going to court over its plans for a solar farm being rejected by the La Porte County Board of Zoning Appeals last month.

In its lawsuit, Hoosier Solar says the plans met all of the requirements but the BZA failed to list its reasons for turning down its request for a special exception to the current agricultural zoning by a 3 to 2 vote.

The company also argues the process was biased from having a board member and a county commissioner reveal their opposition to the plans before the vote.

In the lawsuit, Hoosier Solar said there was reason to believe BZA member Jeff Baltes has funded and participated in the distribution of signage opposing solar projects across the county.  The lawsuit claims Baltes had a sign posted at his home reading “No Industrial Solar Plants on Farmland” as recently as April 23.

The commissioners replaced Baltes with Lefeber as an alternate member of the BZA appointed to strictly vote on the special exception request.  But, the lawsuit alleges Lefeber attended a BZA meeting in May to speak against the request he was now empowered to vote on, a violation of state law that requires a neutral and unbiased fact finder in BZA –quasi-judicial proceedings.

The lawsuit also points to publicly made remarks from Holifield like one that describes Hoosier Solar as “outside carpet baggers” wanting a solar farm only to possibly obtain a federal tax credit, statements the company called false and disparaging to again try and illustrate how the process was not impartial and fair as required.   

The lawsuit is asking the court to order the BZA to approve the plans.

The proposed solar farm would be on about 300 acres of farmland in the eastern part of the county near the St. Joseph County line.

In response, Holifield said the best location for the solar farm is the mostly secluded Kingsbury Industrial Park.  He also defended his prior remarks against solar farms on farmland, saying he has a right to freedom of speech.

“I got my opinions, too, and we’re not allowed to have opinions?  I will stand and I will testify. I’ll do whatever I have to do to prevent this from happening,” he said.

(La Porte, IN) - A man accused of killing his stepfather in La Porte is scheduled to stand trial next week.

Breon Ware, 37, is charged in La Porte Circuit Court with murder and other counts.

In October of last year, authorities said 58 year old Aaron Stingley was strangled at a home in the 1400 block of Jefferson Avenue.  Police said the two men were arguing when Ware was seen by someone inside the residence punching the victim and placing his arm around his neck.

Ware then went to his mother’s workplace in La Porte and told her she needed to check on the man, according to authorities.  She did and found him without a pulse.

Jury selection is expected to begin Monday for the trial expected to last a few days.  Ware could face a 45 to 65 year sentence on the murder charge.

According to authorities, Ware of Gary has a prior conviction for dealing cocaine from 2013.

(La Porte County, IN) - Beefed up patrols now exist until after Labor Day to help keep motorists safe.

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office has had more officers on the roads since Wednesday under a national federally funded annual enforcement campaign, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

Officers are working overtime to beef up patrols through September 7 with the focus on identifying and stopping motorists under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

“As we enter the final weeks of summer, we are asking every driver to make responsible decisions. A sober ride is not just the safest option, it’s the choice that saves lives,” said La Porte County Police Capt. Derek Allen.

Last year, nearly 23-percent of Indiana’s traffic fatalities involved alcohol while over 41-percent involved drug impairment, according to preliminary data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

The enforcement campaign administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute is supported with federal traffic safety funds provided by the United States Department of Transportation.

(La Porte County, IN) - A traffic stop in La Porte County resulted in the arrest of the driver on gun and drug related charges.

Patrick Wright, 22, was being held in the La Porte County Jail on multiple counts, including Level 5 felony possession of a machine gun without a license and possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor.

According to Indiana State Police, the Chicago area man was pulled over Wednesday night on the Indiana Toll Road near the 50 mile marker for not having working taillights on his vehicle.

Police said an odor of marijuana from the 2017 BMW resulted in a search and discovery of a loaded handgun equipped with a switch that makes the semi-automatic gun function as a fully automatic weapon. 

The gun with an extended magazine came back as stolen out of Illinois, police said. An undisclosed amount of marijuana was also allegedly recovered from the vehicle.

(La Porte, IN) - A stretch of E. Lincolnway in La Porte was closed this morning because of a natural gas leak.

The state highway was closed between Philadelphia and Boston streets, according to the mayor’s office.

Firefighters at the scene were trying to shut off the leak and detect levels of natural gas inside nearby buildings.  Al’s Supermarket and CVS were evacuated and closed until further notice.

“Please stay clear of the area and allow our teams room to do their jobs safely,” said Mayor Tom Dermody.

(Three Oaks, MI) - One of the broadcasters for the Chicago Cubs will be in the area this weekend.

Alex Cohen will be at the public library in Three Oaks.

He will speak, answer questions and be part of a meet and greet with those in attendance, said Gary Lange, founder of the Biggest Little Baseball Museum, which is on the second floor of the library.

Cohen is an up and coming broadcaster now in his second year with the Cubs.

Lange said a colleague, Brian Johnson, expressed a desire to book Cohen for a speaking engagement and was able to secure his upcoming appearance.

“He made some contacts.  We’re looking forward to him being there,” he said.

Cohen will appear on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. (EST) 

The event is free.

Cohen is a play-by-play announcer on select Cubs games for the Marquee Sports Network for two-years and has been the lead play-by-play announcer for the Iowa Cubs, the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate, since 2018.  

(La Porte County, IN) - A motorist with a cell phone helped La Porte County Police remove a very alcohol impaired driver from the streets in Michigan City yesterday.

Richard Specker, 35, of Westville was booked into the La Porte County Jail on Class A misdemeanor operating while intoxicated.

Police said officers about 4 p.m. responded to a call about a swerving vehicle on Franklin St. south of U.S. 20.  It wasn’t long before the suspected vehicle, a 2003 Pontiac Sunfire, was located swerving from lane to lane while heading southbound. Police said the driver later identified as Specker pulled over after nearly causing a collision with a semi-truck.

His alleged blood alcohol level was .32-percent or four times the legal .08-percent limit.  Police said several empty alcoholic beverage containers were discovered in the vehicle.

(La Porte County, IN) - A candidate for La Porte County Commissioner has reactivated his campaign.

Jody Slabaugh says he’s back to knocking on the doors of voters. 

The Republican Party nominee for the seat now held by Connie Gramarossa, recently suspended his campaign.  Slabaugh says he did so because of a “difficult public confrontation” during a Republican Party event.

He provided no details about the confrontation but said his wife after they talked it over agreed with his decision.  Slabaugh says he decided to become active in the campaign again after hearing from a lot of his supporters.

He soundly defeated Gramrossa for the republican nomination in the May primary.

“I’ve decided the mandate from those primary voters matters more than one bad morning, so I’m back in and back knocking on doors,” he said.

Slabaugh is opposed in November by Angle Henzman, who easily won the Democratic Party nomination in the primary over Ron Meer, a former two-term mayor of Michigan City.

Henzman said her campaign is not impacted by Slabaugh’s decision because his name will be on the November ballot regardless of his campaign’s status.  The deadline for a candidate to remove their name from the ballot was July 15.

“I just want to get to as many voters as possible to earn their votes so I will continue as I plan to and keep doing the work,” she said.

(Merrillville, IN) - It’s been over a week now since some NIPSCO customers have been without power since Tuesday’s major rain and wind storm.

The numbers continue dropping, though.

According to NIPSCO, over 700 customers were still without power this afternoon in its La Porte service territory while that figure was just over 300 in the Michigan City service area.  NIPSCO also reports nearly 388 remaining outages in the Westville area.

There are more than 10,000 customers still without electrical service in Merrillville and Lake Station combined while the number is over 1,300 in Chesterton and Valparaiso combined.  NIPSCO said the number of outages throughout its northern Indiana service territory stands at over 83,000.

At one point, about 60-percent of NIPSCO’s 500,000 customers were without power, the most in recent memory for the utility company from a storm.

(La Porte County, IN) - Overnight lane closures are upcoming on a stretch of Interstate 94 in La Porte County.

According to the Indiana Department of Transportation, the overnight lane closures will occur between U.S. 421 and U.S. 20/35 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. over the next two weeks.

Lane closures will first occur for two evenings beginning on or after the night of Thursday, August 20.. Crews will be removing the work zone configuration currently in place to put traffic back into the standard three-lane configuration in both directions, as well as conducting guardrail repairs, INDOT said.

Overnight lane closures will occur for four nights starting on or after Wednesday, August 26 for raised pavement marking installation. I-94 will be reduced to one lane in each direction for this overnight work but will resume three travel lanes during daytime hours. 

According to INDOT, this work is in relation to the full bridge deck replacement on Bleck Rd over I-94 through the beginning of September, which includes restrictions on I-94. The work zone to the west of U.S. 421 will remain in place after construction at Bleck Rd concludes.

Motorists should be prepared for changing traffic patterns on I-94, especially during overnight hours. INDOT encourages drivers to consider safety for all by slowing down, using extra caution and driving distraction-free when traveling in and around all work zones.

(La Porte County, IN) - The cause of a house fire in Mill Creek is under investigation.

Firefighters early Monday afternoon responded to the 2400 block of Taylor Road. According to La Porte County Police, the homeowner, Betty Hildebrandt told investigators she placed a pan containing oil and grease from cooking chicken nuggets on the stove.

Hildebrandt said she then covered the pan and left to pick-up a pizza.  Her son later discovered a fire in the kitchen.

Most of the damage was around the stove in the kitchen where the entire ceiling was blackened by fire and smoke, police said.  The entire livingroom floor leading into the kitchen was filled with water from extinguishing the flames.

(Michigan City, IN) - A judge has been sentenced for driving impaired just two days after his arrest in Michigan City.

Porter County Superior Court 4 Judge Christopher Buckley was placed on 180 days of probation for Class C misdemeanor operating while intoxicated.  He was also ordered into substance abuse treatment.

Buckley, 46, was arrested Saturday night near the city’s lakefront and stepped into a courtroom for a hearing on Monday wanting to plead guilty. 

La Porte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan said his office agreed with his request and the quickly negotiated sentence for reasons that include Buckley being a first time offender.  Fagan said the punishment was also standard for a first time OWI conviction without the involvement of major circumstances like injury or death.

“It made sense,” he said.

According to Michigan City Police, Buckley was stopped about 9 p.m. in the 200 block of Heisman Harbor for driving and parking in an area that he was not supposed to be in.

Buckley has since suspended his campaign for a second term as judge and released a statement.

“I feel strongly that officers of the court should be held to a higher standard of conducdt than an ordinary citizen, much higher than the standard of conduct I displayed this past Saturday night.  I can place no blame on anyone but myself for this weekend’s actions.  I am, however, grateful for the opportunity that this created to get help,” he said.

Buckley also said he has struggled with alcohol since his service in the U.S. Marine Corps. over 20-years ago.

(Berrien County, MI) - A driver was killed when hit by an Amtrak passenger train near New Buffalo yesterday.

According to police, the vehicle also burst into flames.

Paul Rizzo, 72, was identified as the driver and only occupant of the vehicle.

The Amtrak train was westbound at the East Road crossing near Red Arrow Highway just before 10 a.m. when Rizzo, who lives in that area, tried to cross with the warning lights at the crossing flashing, police said.

Amtrak said none of the 203 passengers or three crew members were hurt in the crash, which delayed the train for about two hours.  The train was heading to Chicago from Grand Rapids.

The crash is under investigation, authorities said.

(Michigan City, IN) - A teenage boy drowned in Lake Michigan at Michigan City yesterday.

According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, a 911 call just before 2 p.m. indicated the male swimmer had gone under the water and failed to resurface. First responders from multiple agencies arrived quickly at the residential access point and initiated a search.

DNR said a Michigan City firefighter soon located the victim, entered the water and brought him to shore where lifesaving measures started immediately.

The victim, a 16-year-old from East Brunswick, New Jersey, was transported by ambulance to Franciscan Health hospital where he later died.

Indiana Conservation Officers and the LaPorte County Coroner’s Office continue to investigate.  The identity of the victim was not released.

Assisting agencies included the Michigan City Police Department, Michigan City Fire Department, Long Beach Police Department, LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, and LaPorte County EMS.

(La Porte County, IN) - Crop damage from the August 11 storm that packed up to 100 mile per hour winds seems rather limited for the most part in La Porte County.

At least one field containing over 100 acres near Kingsford Heights, though, had a lot of corn plants knocked completely to the ground or left leaning by the hurricane force winds of the storm in places that also brought heavy rains.

Farmer Mark Parkman said a small percentage of his corn plants on the outer edges of his fields had their stalks snapped below the ears and were left leaning.

Parkman said he hasn’t been deeper into his fields yet to know if there’s any similar damage toward the center of his fields but doubts it since the outside plants take the brunt of the winds.

“It could be worse inside than outside. Typically not, but it can happen that way,” he said.

Parkman, who also owns an excavating firm, said he hasn’t had a chance to try and get in his fields because he’s been helping remove the many fallen trees and limbs from the Westville area in what’s been an ongoing major clean-up.  His corn and soybeans were already struggling to a certain extent from the wet spring and the wet growing season before the storm and the additional rain that fell later in the week.

Farms in his area are slower draining because of heavy clay in the soil.

“It’s not going to be a bumper crop.  It hasn’t been all year long in my book.  It’s just one more thing that’s going to hinder the crop in our area,” he said.

Farmer Jeff Mitzner of Wanatah said there wasn’t much crop damage in his area with just a few broken and leaning corn stalks in his fields along with some with leaves stripped from the stalks by hail.

Mitzner said his crops could have been hurt some by the six inches of rain that fell last week but he hasn’t been out in his fields recently to determine moisture levels. He still likes the condition of his corn and soybeans, which have benefited from having more easier to drain sand in the soil.

Mitzner said he spent the weekend in downstate Tipton welcoming a new grandchild into his family and witnessed the devastating flooding the recent storms brought to that part of the state.  Some areas were below 20 feet of water in spots.

“If I had my choice, I’d take the wind damage over the water damage because at least then you still have your valuables at home.  There, houses were washed into the river,” he said.

Farmer Matt Schafer said his fields in LaCrosse and as far to the west as Kouts received anywhere from four to seven inches of rain last week.  He also reported just minimal crop damage but he could discover more once he goes deeper out into his fields at some point.

Schafer also said he’s worried now about the potential for disease and other things that hurt yields developing because of the recent heavy rains and lack of hot weather to evaporate the moisture faster.

“We’re kind of in a wait and see mode.  In our particular area, it would seem as though we might have dodged a bit of a bullet,” he said.

(Michigan City, IN) - An 18-year old driver is facing major felony counts in connection with serious injuries to her passengers from a collision in Michigan City during a pursuit.

Jaelyn Maida is charged with Level 3 felony resisting law enforcement and three counts of Level 5 felony criminal recklessness.

Police said an officer Friday night tried stopping Maida for driving the wrong way down a one-way street on W. 11^th St., but she accelerated.  During a pursuit, police said she soon crashed into a guardrail.

All three of her passengers sustained life-threatening injuries, including an adult later flown to a regional hospital for more advanced care.  The remaining juvenile passengers were still hospitalized Monday at Franciscan Health, police said.

Police said investigators are waiting for the results of a blood test but suspect alcohol was a contributing factor in the collision.

The names of the injured passengers and other details were not released. 

Maida was being held in the La Porte County Jail on $15,000 bond.

(Michigan City, IN) - Help from the public is sought in trying to identify the driver of a vehicle who fled after striking a seriously injured pedestrian in Michigan City.

According to police, a black pick-up truck fled after striking the pedestrian about 8 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of Ramada Inn at 5820 Franklin St.

Police said the victim was taken to Franciscan Health hospital with life threatening injuries and later transported by helicopter to a regional hospital for more advanced care.

The name and age of the victim have not been disclosed.  Police said no further details will be released due to the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with additional information along with any witnesses are asked to contact Michigan City Police Capt. Greg Jesse at (219) 874-3221, Ext. 1008 or gjesse@michigancity.com.

(Union Mills, IN) – Another day, another delay for another La Porte County School.

On Sunday afternoon South Central Schools Superintendent Dr. Ben Anderson announced that the first day of classes will be pushed back to Tuesday, August 18.

While most of Hanna now has power, many Union Mills families do not. Also a few south county roads are still not accessible to school buses. For example, 900 S. between 600 W. and 700 W. remains blocked at this time, Anderson said.

“This has been a difficult balancing act as we try to be considerate of everyone's circumstances while also getting our students back to school,” said Anderson in a statement to the South Central Schools community. He also gave the following updates:

• Information regarding any make-up days will be shared at a later time.
• School picture day that was scheduled for the JH/HS on Tuesday will be postponed.
• The lunch menu will be as scheduled for this week, so what is on the calendar for each day is what will be served.
• Elementary families may drop off bagged and labeled (name/teacher) student supplies on Monday from 1:00pm-3:00pm.

Seniors will be welcomed back Monday, August 17, at least to the parking lot. Beginning at 9:00 a.m. those students will be able to paint their parking spots. Seniors should have received an email with details.

(La Porte County, IN) – It’s day six of being without power for thousands of northwest Indiana residents. Patience is wearing thin. Some people appear to have forgotten their manners.

According to La Porte County Commissioner Steve Holifield, on Saturday in an area near Johnson Road, police intervened on behalf of NIPSCO electrical workers. Said Holifield, “We had to send the Sheriff’s Department out. People were harassing and threatening linemen.”

Holifield said workers were temporarily blocking a roadway to install new equipment; meanwhile, "people were screaming and yelling at them." Holifield said he called local law enforcement, and a Sheriff’s patrol arrived to monitor the situation.

A more serious incident involving linemen happened Friday night in Gary, where a NIPSCO service truck was struck by at least two bullets. Work there was halted while authorities investigated. Indiana State Police have since dispatched extra patrols to Gary.

Holifield says he’s been out talking to electrical workers, many of whom have come to La Porte County from far away. “They’re getting tired, they’re getting worn out,” Holifield said. “They’re having a hard time procuring supplies. This is the worst outage they’ve ever seen.”

Holifield said ComEd crews have arrived to the area from Illinois with supplies. The National Guard rolled into La Porte on Saturday to help coordinate resources. “We’ve also got a couple of volunteer groups that have come through here,” Holifield added. “They’re going out basically to help move brush away from people’s yards. He stressed that all of these workers need to be given respect and cooperation.

According to Holifield, local leaders will meet at 7:30 Monday morning to discuss allocating new resources. He encourages anyone needing special assistance to text him at (219) 304-3164.

(La Porte County, IN) – Following declarations of emergency in La Porte, surrounding areas, and statewide, Governor Mike Braun has announced that federal aid is on the way. President Trump approved the Governor's request for a Presidential Emergency Declaration following a call between the two earlier in the day. The approval makes up to $5 million in federal assistance available to support emergency response efforts across Indiana.

On Saturday afternoon, La Porte County Commissioner Joe Haney confirmed that the National Guard has arrived in La Porte County. Utility crews assigned to them, he said, will assist with clearing roads, power lines, snapped poles, and related debris.

Haney also offered the following important reminders:

Brush & Debris Placement
County residents may place tree limbs and brush along the front of their property in the right-of-way for future removal. Please do NOT place anything in the street itself. Removal may take some time.

Use 211
It is ESSENTIAL that every resident report storm damage through 211. These reports help IDHS and FEMA unlock and allocate recovery resources.
Residents in at-risk populations—including the elderly, people with disabilities, veterans, and those living below the poverty line—are especially encouraged to report damage.

211 can connect you with qualified charitable organizations that provide free services such as tree and debris removal, basement flooding remediation, and more. Links in first comment.

Haney urged patience as recovery efforts continue. "Please understand that if your street looks good today, many areas in the County still look like a war zone," he said. "It is going to take a long time to get back to normal."

Fefillable Oxygen Supply Available

County Commissioner Steve Holifield told HTNN that Emergency Management Director Rob Sabie has been able to procure an oxygen truck. The truck is currently at La Porte’s Fire Station 3 on 710 Daytona Street. “If someone’s refillable oxygen tank is low, they can refill it there,” Holifield said.

(La Porte, IN) - School kids in La Porte did not go back to class this week, as planned, due to the extensive storm damage. The decision to start school on Monday, August 17 has now been pushed back another day.

La Porte public schools will begin Wednesday, August 19. Monday and Tuesday will be preparation days for staff.

School leaders said, as of Friday morning, six of the district’s school buildings and its transportation center were still without power. Even once all buildings come back online, they explained, food has to be moved back into schools, technology has to be tested and repaired, bus routes need to be adjusted for current road conditions, and building air systems have to be reset.

Open House hours on Tuesday, August 18 at La Porte Middle School, La Porte High School, and La Porte Alternative Education/Unity are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Families and students from these schools, whose open house events were canceled last week, are welcome to come pick up schedules, walk the halls, and get comfortable before school starts.

In a statement to the community, school leaders expressed their commitment to starting off the year in the best way possible:

“Our goal is to have the first day of school at every building on the same day. This community cares about starting the school year together and celebrating it together, and we hope moving to Wednesday makes that possible. We will continue to assess our buildings every day and will let you know as soon as possible if anything needs to change.”

Because cell service and internet remain unreliable, they say to check ParentSquare or email, if possible, for Dr. Wood's full message, and share what you know with neighbors who may still be cut off.

(Michigan City, IN) - Michigan City area public school students were supposed to start on Wednesday. Their first day has been postponed until Tuesday, August 18, with power and internet expected to be restored across all buildings.

The district has updated the schedule for Back-to-School Nights on Monday, August 17. Here are the rescheduled locations and times:

Barker Middle School: 5:00-6:00

Coolspring Elementary School: 4:00-5:00

Edgewood Elementary School: 4:30-6:00

Joy Elementary School: 4:00-5:00

Knapp Elementary School: 4:00-5:15

Marsh Elementary School: 4:00-5:30

Pine Elementary School: 2:30-4:00

Springfield Elementary School: 4:45-6:15

Schools not listed have already hosted their Back-to-School Night events.

For more information, contact each school directly, or visit EducateMC.net.

(Michigan City, IN) - Tired of renting, living in Mom and Dad's basement? Interested in getting into real estate? Next week, the United Way of La Porte County will host a free symposium on all things housing.

The event is geared toward first-time home buyers, investors, those new to the community—in particular data center employees and construction workers— veterans, or anyone who may be asset limited.

The seminar will take place at Michigan City’s Blue Chip Casino on Thursday, August 20 and is completely free.

Doors open at 4:30 pm. There will be various sessions addressing topics related to home-buying and home-building, followed by a panel discussion. Free food and a free cocktail mixer is included in the evening.

Registration is required. You can register online through the United Way HERE.

(Merrillville, IN) - There are still a lot of power outages from Tuesday’s hurricane-like storm but NIPSCO is making progress.

According to NIPSCO, the number of customers without power in its La Porte service territory has dropped from over 16,000 to just under 9,000 early this afternoon.  In the Michigan City area, NIPSCO reports customer outages have dropped from more than 9,000 to just over 2,600 by 1 p.m.

According to NIPSCO, it might take until Tuesday night to restore power for 90-percent of its storm impacted customers and next Friday night before all customers have electrical service back on.

So far, no estimated restoration times have been given for specific neighborhoods. Periodic updates will be given on estimated power restoration times, NIPSCO said.