Central Avenue closed for beach nourishment project
Central Avenue in Indiana Dunes National Park is closed for a beach nourishment project. Funded by the Army Corps of Engineers, the project will replace 56,000 tons of sand on the national park’s Central Avenue Beach that has been lost due to severe erosion from high water levels in Lake Michigan. The road will be closed the entire length between US. Highway 12 and its northern terminus at the beach. Work is scheduled to be completed by Dec. 24. This beach area was closed the entire summer and fall due to dangerous conditions caused by the severe erosion. More information on beach access can be found at 219-395-1882 or at www.nps.gov/indu.
Compost sites open for amended hours
Porter County’s compost sites will observe special winter hours for daylight savings time beginning Monday. The Valparaiso site will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Dec. 31 at 2150 West Lincolnway. The Boone Grove site will be open from Noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays through Dec. 5 at 546 S 400 W, Valparaiso. The hours for the Portage Compost Site will remain unchanged: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Dec. 5 at 6451 US-12. The Boone Grove and Portage compost sites will close after Dec. 5 until the regular season begins in March. More information is at info@portercountyrecycling.org or at www.portercountyrecycling.org.
Exploring diversity in early childhood literature
Purdue University Extension will host a virtual childcare provider training from 6 to 7 p.m. Nov. 11. Linda Curley will discuss children’s literature and the role it can play in supporting diversity goals in an early learning environment. Registration is at https://tinyurl.com/CCP11Nov. More information is at lcurley@purdue.edu.
United Way opens nominations for STAR Awards
Nominations for the 2020 Serving Together Achieves Results (STAR) awards are now open. Members of area organizations, local non-profits and the faith-based community can nominate the employees and volunteers who are making a difference in Lake County. The award ceremony will be held online in early December and is free to attend; however, attendees must register to receive the link to the event. To make a nomination, fill out the online form and upload a 1 minute or less video describing why you are nominating the volunteer, employee or organization for the particular award. The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. A complete description of the award categories, the nomination form and the video upload link can be found at www.lauw.org/starawards. More information is with Megan Sikes at msikes@lauw.org.
PNW offers virtual preview event for prospective students
Purdue University Northwest (PNW) will hold a Virtual Preview PNW from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 14. Prospective students and their families will have the opportunity to learn more about the undergraduate programs, the freshman admissions process, financial aid and scholarships. Breakout sessions will offer more information about student life, housing and campus safety, the PNW Honors College, athletics and an application workshop. Participants will hear first-hand from current students, faculty and admissions staff. The $25 application fee will be waived for students who apply during the event. Registration and more information can be found at pnw.edu/preview.
Munster police searching for robbery suspect
Munster Police are seeking information on an apparent robbery that took place on Oct. 24 on Camellia Drive, which injured an elderly man.
Around 4:23 p.m. on Oct. 24, a man told police that he was walking on Camellia near Elmwood Drive when he saw a black Jeep sport utility vehicle drive past, which was westbound on Camellia. When the man turned onto Elmwood Drive, he reported to police that the vehicle was then driving south on Elmwood and then it stopped next to him.
A black man, who was around 6-foot-tall and had thin build, reportedly exited the passenger side of the vehicle and ran towards the victim, demanding his wallet while displaying a handgun and pointing it at him, according to the police report. The victim told police that another black man of the same height and build reportedly exited the driver’s side and also displayed a handgun. The suspects struck the elderly man several times in the head and pushed him to the ground, and they the victim’s wallet and fled the scene, he told police.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Munster Police Department’s Investigations Unit at 219-836-6678.
Opening of new Portage COVID testing site delayed until later this week.
The Indiana State Department of Health has notified the Porter County Health Department that they are having technical difficulties in setting up the registration system for the new Portage testing site that was scheduled to open on Monday. Therefore, the site will not be open until later this week. Also, please note that the Valparaiso testing site will be closed on Election Day, Nov. 3.
As soon as ISDH is able to correct the problem, the opening of the new site will be reported our website at http://porterco.org/covidtesting
