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.

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.

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.

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.

Valparaiso University students share love of meteorology with local youths

VALPARAISO | More than 500 elementary students from Porter County gathered Tuesday at Valparaiso University to learn about meteorology in a way that no nightly news weather report can teach.

8-year-old girl organizes St. Baldrick's event

PORTAGE | Eight-year-old Emma Bailey, of South Haven, smiled the entire 15 minutes it took to have her head shaved clean, leaving her bald, beautiful and proud.

Thomas library staff present program on raising fowl at home

CHESTERTON | The humans outnumbered chickens, barely, at the Westchester Public Library’s Thomas branch on Thursday night as a packed house came out to hear about how to raise happy, healthy chickens.

Porter passes employee time-off policy

PORTER | During Tuesday night’s meeting, Porter Town Council members passed a resolution to amend the town employee handbook to allow employees to donate paid time off to coworkers in need due to personal situations.

Phones down at Chesterton Town Hall

CHESTERTON | The 20-year-old telephone system at Chesterton Town Hall crashed Monday and is now inoperable, Police Chief Dave Cincoski said at Monday's Town Council meeting.

Chesterton High School considers Breathalyzer tests at prom

CHESTERTON | Chesterton school officials are considering a plan to require students attending prom and senior banquet to take a Breathalyzer test.

Duneland School Board appoints Pruis new superintendent

CHESTERTON | The Duneland school board on Thursday approved the appointment of Dr. David Pruis as the new superintendent of schools.

Local teams prep for state Science Olympiad

VALPARAISO | Eight high schools and 11 middle schools will send students to Indiana University in Bloomington for the Indiana Science Olympiad State Tournament on Saturday to vie for four coveted spots to compete at the national level.

Porter council considers banning funeral protests

PORTER | Town Council President Elka Nelson referred to Westboro Baptist Church demonstrations Tuesday when she asked the council for its support in prohibiting funeral protests after receiving an email from a resident.

Valpo woman to trek up Everest to fight human trafficking

VALPARAISO | Kerith Ackley-Jelinek never thought she would find herself hiking to the Mount Everest basecamp this coming April.

Girl Scouts gather in sisterhood

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP | Girl Scouts from 35 troops in Valparaiso and Washington Township gathered Sunday afternoon at Washington Township High School for the 33rd annual Scouting Girls Style.

Local teacher to guest conduct world-renowned orchestra

VALPARAISO | Miguel Rosario-Vega may be tirelessly working with teens on a daily basis, drilling them on scales and chords as assistant director of bands at Valparaiso High School. But in just about a week, Rosario-Vega will put that teaching and schooling and expertise to good use as a gues…

Home & Lifestyle Show kicks off spring

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP | For those looking to remodel, upgrade, or build a house, the Home & Lifestyle Show at the Porter County Expo Center is the place to be this weekend.

Lincoln Day dinner joins Republicans

VALPARAISO | Local Republicans gathered Thursday night at Aberdeen Manor for the annual Lincoln Day Dinner for a night of camaraderie and communion as they listened to special guest and keynote speaker Brian Bosma, Indiana speaker of the House, discuss issues that are critical to the party.

Valpo Schools to discuss random drug testing

VALPARAISO | Superintendent Mike Berta said Tuesday night’s School Board discussion will include a potential random drug testing program for Valparaiso High School in the 2013-14 school year.

Dune Acres dedicated to neighbors, environment

DUNE ACRES | Dune Acres was incorporated as a town in 1923 with a population of 16 people living in five homes. They wanted to develop an upscale community in the Indiana Dunes on the shores of Lake Michigan akin to those on Chicago’s North Shore.

Smart economic growth, development in Chesterton

CHESTERTON | Emerson DeLaney, Chesterton Town Council president, says officials have been working for years toward smart growth and those efforts are paying off with recent developments in the town.

Burns Harbor has eye on needs, goals

BURNS HARBOR | In 1967, the town of Burns Harbor was established. In the more than four decades since its founding, this small town has grown a lot, with new residents and neighborhoods, and this year, new members of the Town Council and municipal departments.

Porter working on efficiencies, trails, other improvements

PORTER | When 2012 began, the town ushered in an entirely new council. These five new members had plenty of experience behind them, but they set forward to continue a number of initiatives begun by previous councils while changing course on others.

Accused escapee issued warning by judge

VALPARAISO | As Porter Superior Judge Bill Alexa entered the courtroom Friday morning, April Kuchta, 18, appeared without an attorney and was swiveling in her chair.

Porter County Council questions Portage satellite location

VALPARAISO | Porter County Councilman Bob Poparad criticized county Auditor Bob Wichlinski for taking steps this month to lease office space for a satellite auditor site in the new Portage University Center at 6260 Central Avenue.

Chesterton paves way for Urschel facility

CHESTERTON | The Chesterton Town Council took action Monday on bringing Urschel Laboratories to town, approving an ordinance to authorize issuing up to $25.86 million in economic development revenue bonds for the company's new manufacturing facility as well as a corporate headquarters at Cof…

Visually impaired students help others see challenges

MORGAN TOWNSHIP | Visually impaired students who attend Morgan Township schools to receive services, such as learning braille, turned the tables on their classmates on Monday afternoon when they taught about the many challenges they face every day.