Mayor Jon Costas-Feeling the Vibe of Valpo!

For ten years, Mayor Jon Costas has been set on transforming the City of Valparaiso into a vibrant community to live, visit, and to build a business. During that time, Valpo has changed drastically. “We feel that Valparaiso is a city with a vibe and all our projects are focused on creating a…

Excellence in Education

The Valparaiso School Corporation is dedicated to providing a safe and supportive educational environment, from elementary school, to middle school, to high school and beyond as students pave their way for a successful future, whatever their chosen endeavor. The schools provide a dedicated a…

Valparaiso Events

Central Park Plaza Market

Volunteers sought for Day of Caring

The United Way Day of Caring is still about 10 weeks away, but now is the time for community groups to plan their participation.

Duneland OKs renovating media center

CHESTERTON | The Duneland School Board reviewed bids Tuesday and ultimately approved the renovation for the corporation’s former media center to become a wellness center.

Porter’s Summer Safety Festival to demonstrate skills of local K-9s

PORTER | Kilo the Porter police K-9 and Harley the Porter search and rescue K-9 will show off their talents during demonstrations at the second annual Summer Safety Festival from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 14th at Hawthorne Park.

Chesterton’s ambulance service up and running

CHESTERTON | The town’s new advanced life support ambulance service began Saturday, and Mike Orlich, chief of the Chesterton Fire Department, says it “went well.”

Chesterton starts new ambulance service

Steve Sloan, firefighter/EMT, and Jackie Kistner, paramedic, prepare equipment for the Chesterton Fire Department's advanced life support ambulance service in partnership with Superior Ambulance Service. The service began Saturday.

Local girl, 6, a Riley Miracle Ride ambassador

CHESTERTON | Phoenix Bridegroom, 6, of Chesterton, will serve Saturday and Sunday as an ambassador for the 20th Annual Miracle Ride, a fundraising event in support of patients at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health.

Chesterton to get $405K for trail expansion

CHESTERTON | The town has been awarded $405,834 from NIRPC’s Transportation Alternatives Program after months of negotiation and study, Town Engineer Mark O’Dell said.

Portage Memorial Day parade brief but to the point

PORTAGE | It lasted only about 10 minutes, so if you came late, you missed it.

Memorial Day Service inaugurates taps tradition

VALPARAISO | Local businessman and World War II Veteran Bill Wellman spoke during Valparaiso’s annual Memorial Day Weekend Service at Foundation Meadows Park on Friday morning where he announced a new tradition in the city that he said was close to his heart.

Spring brings out the animal in the region

PORTER COUNTY | Spring is a season for blooming flowers, chirping birds, and wildlife that is either emerging from hibernation or thriving as creatures look for food after the winter thaw.

Kite Festival for the dogs

VALPARAISO | Minivans lined the entrance into Sunset Hill Park on Saturday afternoon as the gorgeous weather brought out families for the Porter County Parks annual Kite Festival.

Ridge lauds efforts of Porter County officers

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP | The nation's first secretary of Homeland Security shared a message about courage and preparedness Friday as Porter County Sheriff's Department officers remembered those from the department who died in the line of service.

Wheeler native helps design home to aid disaster victims

MUNCIE | Wheeler native Jamie Owens, a Ball State University graduate, is the architectural manager for a project that seeks to help disaster victims get back to a normal life.

AT&T announces expanded coverage in Valpo

VALPARAISO | Business officials from local AT&T offices announced expanded 4G LTE coverage to Valparaiso customers during a press conference at the county administration building on Tuesday morning.

Porter Town Council discusses festivals

PORTER | Duneland Business Initiative Group Vice President Laura Layman discussed upcoming festivals in Chesterton and Porter on Tuesday night during the Porter Town Council meeting.

Town Council hears park restroom details

CHESTERTON | The Town of Chesterton has been considering a restroom for Thomas Centennial Park downtown for a number of years and during Monday night’s council meeting they heard details from a local architect who has been designing the project.

Doing Business in Duneland

What makes a company choose the town or city they do business in? Do they just fall into an area and set up shop like they’re setting up camp? Do they drive down the road and decide to just pull off at the next exit? Do they take a survey of their friends and family? If they’re smart, they d…

Arnell Chevy & Kia

We’ve all been there. We see the advertisement on television or in the newspaper with a price for a car that sounds great. We go into the showroom, see the sticker, drive the car, fall in love. But then start the negotiations. The price suddenly starts to go up as the sticker cost doesn’t ap…

Chesterton’s European Market

If the Indiana Dunes haven’t put Duneland on the map, then certainly Chesterton’s European Market has. Since the very beginning, Chesterton’s European Market has brought crowds to the downtown each Saturday during the summer months for their produce, cheese, bread, and art of every shape and size.

Duneland Events

June 3: Duneland/Chesterton Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Outing

Duneland Schools

The Duneland School Corporation, comprised of is five elementary schools (grades K-4), two intermediate schools (grades 5-6), a middle school (grades 7-8) and a high school (grades 9-12), serves over 5,000 students from a 92 square-mile area including Westchester, Jackson, Liberty and parts …

Kids give valiant effort at Porter County Spelling Bee

VALPARAISO | Samantha Davis, a fourth-grader at Paul Saylor Elementary School in Valparaiso, sat at the back of the auditorium at Ben Franklin Middle School, writing in her notepad each word that was read during the Porter County Spelling Bee on Thursday night.

Duneland to revise electronics use on buses

CHESTERTON | Jim Bonfield, director of transportation for the Duneland School Corp., spoke to the School Board on Monday about allowing bus drivers the ability to discern use of electronics like cellphones and tablets.

European Market season kicks off in Chesterton

CHESTERTON | The perfect weather on Saturday brought out hundreds, if not more, to the 11th annual European Market in downtown Chesterton.

PNC early childhood education students get real-life experience

WESTVILLE | Early childhood education students at Purdue North Central have been working with organizations throughout the region to enhance their own education, but also to provide services to the groups.

Valparaiso University fraternity loses charter

VALPARAISO | A fraternity at Valparaiso University lost its national charter this month — bringing an end to its 53 years on campus.

Shirley Heinze Land Trust takes over stewardship of former Girl Scout camp

VALPARAISO | The spring flowers welcomed visitors along the trails at the Meadowbrook Conservation Center and Preserve during Sunday afternoon’s open house, as the Shirley Heinze Land Trust welcomed guests as well.

Duneland approves $16K raise in superintendent pay

CHESTERTON | The five members of the Duneland School Board voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a $16,000 increase in pay for incoming superintendent David Pruis.

Rebuilding Together Duneland

CHESTERTON | Carla Knight, a widow who is unable to maintain her home due to hip and back problems, says her children will feel much better after some 32 volunteers helped work on her home on Saturday as participants in Rebuilding Together Duneland.

DEA Drug Take Back Day

PORTER | The Porter Police station was one of 17 locations in Porter, Lake, and LaPorte Counties that served as a site for DEA Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, an event organized between the federal agency in conjunction with state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners.

Porter approves GPS locator safety signs

PORTER | Just one night after Chesterton’s town council approved placement of GPS locator safety signs throughout their trails and parks, Porter also made the move toward extending the reach of emergency services during Tuesday night’s meeting.

Letter from Mayor James Snyder

Portage, Indiana, like no other time in her history, has risen up and faced huge challenges, corrected her state, and laid a foundation to move forward and poise herself for great and unfettered successes because of her elected leadership standing firm in the face of daunting circumstances. …

Economic Development in Portage

One look at Portage and you will notice that this is a City on the move. More companies are calling Portage home, and the companies that already do are expanding their facilities to meet their burgeoning needs.

Education in Portage

When Mike Berta retired as Portage Superintendent in 2012 and took over a post as interim superintendent in Valparaiso, Dr. Ric Frataccia was a natural fit to continue the work the two had tackled as a team in Portage. Frataccia came to the Portage Township Schools as the district’s associat…

Chesterton OKs public-private ambulance service

CHESTERTON | The Chesterton Town Council unanimously approved ambulance service with a private-public partnership between the Chesterton Fire Department and Superior Ambulance Service.

Rebuilding Together Valparaiso binds community

VALPARAISO | After decades in the community, raising children and being good neighbors, Phoebe and Donald Brink, a World War II veteran, wouldn’t think of moving or calling another town home.

Local effort brings safety signs to Porter County

VALPARAISO | You might think that turning 78 years old on Thursday would have slowed down Bill Pauley, but the Valparaiso resident is more passionate than ever about his community and the health of his fellow neighbors.

Vietnam prisoner of war says poetry helped him survive 'Hanoi Hilton'

CHESTERTON | It is almost unfathomable to imagine the horrors of being held as a prisoner of war in a Hanoi prison after being shot down and captured during the Vietnam War, but John Borling attributes his survival, after six years and eight months, to his fellow prisoners, his poetry, and t…

Bailly Elementary presents Festival of Learning

CHESTERTON | Ava Clancy, a second-grader at Bailly Elementary, said one of the most fun aspects of putting together her photo essay for Thursday night’s Festival of Learning was working together with her mom.

United Way celebrates topping $1.8 million goal

VALPARAISO | Residents gathered Thursday night to celebrate a job well done as the United Way of Porter County ended its annual campaign, reaching its goal of raising $1.8 million.

Duneland School Board approves pilot breath test program

CHESTERTON | Members of the Duneland School Board unanimously approved mandatory breath tests for students upon entry to the last two remaining dances of the school year, prom and senior banquet, as part of a pilot program before considering it a permanent part of school alcohol policy.

Porter Town Council OKs fireworks funds

PORTER | Officials of Porter approved contributing $3,000 for the July 2 Fireworks on the Lakefront.

Chesterton to remove Friendship Land Park playground

CHESTERTON | Equipment at Friendship Land Park cannot be brought into compliance with safety codes and will be removed, an Chesterton official said.

Costa Rica: Journey into the rainforest

They say that turning 40 is a milestone. You’re over the hill, middle aged, officially old. I may not feel old, look old, may not even be old in many people’s eyes, but it’s undeniably a big deal, the big 4-O. Turning 40 was a landmark of sorts for me, a nice neat number that demarcated a st…

Signs of spring?

Indiana Dunes State Park naturalist Jessica Rosier holds up a piece of skunk cabbage and invites guests to smell its distinctive scent during Saturday morning's hike to spot the first wildflowers of spring.

Signs of spring?

Indiana Dunes State Park naturalist Jessica Rosier identifies skunk cabbage during Saturday morning's hike in the park to spot the first wildflowers of spring.

Hikers scan Indiana Dunes State Park for signs of season's first wildflowers

PORTER | “You’re all together to find out if they’re here yet!” Indiana Dunes State Park naturalist Jessica Rosier said to her group of hikers Saturday morning, trying to catch a glimpse of the year’s first wildflower.