Porter County News

What happens if you have a real emergency, pick up the phone to call 911, and can't get through? LaPorte County officials are looking into this public safety risk after a massive outage cut phone and 911 service there and in Porter county for more than 10 hours on Monday.

Shena Benus, of Westville, points out an entry while scanning data from the 1940 census with Larry Clark at the Valparaiso branch of the Porter County Library Wednesday May 23, 2012.

Although murder suspects are rarely given bail under Indiana law, Judge William Alexa granted it to the Valparaiso man accused of strangling his stepdaughter in February.

An autopsy was scheduled late this morning on the Texas man who Valparaiso Police say fatally shot himself on Friday after holding hostages at a local real estate office.

A coroner says a Texas man who held a northwestern Indiana realty office hostage during an hours-long standoff died from two self-inflicted gunshot wounds to the head.

An Oak Forest, Ill., resident was arrested Sunday on charges of operating while intoxicated, bribery, and escape in connection with an incident at the Portage Public Marina at 1200 Marina Way.

Authorities in northwestern Indiana's Porter County say animal cruelty charges are pending against the owners of six horses found malnourished at a property near the town of Hebron.

A gunman who held hostages at an Indiana real estate office shot himself after releasing them unharmed and has died, police said on Friday.

Tea party favorite Ted Cruz is vowing that if Tuesday's multi-candidate Texas Republican primary for U.S. Senate goes to a runoff "we win this race." Tea party favorite Ted Cruz is vowing that if Tuesday's multi-candidate Texas Republican primary for U.S. Senate goes to a runoff "we win this race." A Fort Worth man who testified that he never meant ... (more)

Porter County Coroner Chuck Harris says Ferguson suffered three gunshot wounds, two to the head and one to the upper right torso.

A Porter County sheriff's officer runs as Valparaiso police officers take cover behind a squad car during a standoff at a real estate office Friday, May 25, 2012, in Valparaiso, Ind.

Police responded to an armed man is reportedly holding hostages at a Prudential Real Estate office in Valparaiso, Inc., Friday, May 25, 2012.

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SOUTH BEND Former University of Notre Dame President Theodore Hesburgh plans to go fishing on his 95th birthday.

Authorities in northwestern Indiana's Porter County say animal cruelty charges are pending against the owners of six horses found malnourished at a property near the town of Hebron.

In the first of four meet-and-greet sessions this summer hosted by the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Superintendent Constantine Dillon faced criticism Wednesday on the issues of road closures, Cowles Bog restoration, and sign removals, but said he was eager to look into the complaints.

The visible neglect of a number of horses likely will result in six counts of cruelty to a vertebrate animal being charged against both Kevin and Nancy Statz, of rural Hebron.

The Porter Town Council approved a contract Tuesday that will remove sidewalk tripping hazards in both the downtown and Porter Cove subdivision.

Town staff and consultants are studying alternate ways to connect Porter to the planned Dunes Kankakee Trail after its Redevelopment Commission on Tuesday voted not to accept a $72,000 grant and not to purchase land for the trail along the Munson Ditch easement.

No official decision was made Tuesday by Porter County officials to improve crowding conditions at the jail, but law enforcement officials showed they were eager to get started.