(La Porte, IN) – Current La Porte County Auditor Tim Stabosz believes there was an all-out blitz by his critics to stop him from gaining the Republican nomination for La Porte County Commissioner District 2 in the Primary Election this past Tuesday. 

Among the efforts leading up to Tuesday’s election, some public officials purchased blocks of airtime on local radio stations to denounce Stabosz in the ongoing heated conflict within county government. In addition, an anonymous five-page flyer depicting Stabosz as incompetent, a source of chaos and hatred, as well as a kingmaker in local Republican politics also began showing up in mailboxes and on social media. “Stop the madness” and “Time to clean the toxic environment” were alongside other similarly minded statements on the front page of the flyer.

Steve Holfield, a farmer from Mill Creek, defeated Stabosz by more than 500 votes to gain the Republican Party nomination for the District 2 seat on the three-member La Porte County Commission.

La Porte County Republican Party Chairman Allen Stevens said at least 700 Republican ballots were pulled by voters who previously cast Democratic ballots in the 2022 Primary Election.  He said it’s difficult to say what the motive was for such a high crossover, but many times it has to do with Democrats wanting weaker Republican opponents in the November General Election. 

Stabosz stated that he believes the main reason for his loss was Democrats crossing over “in droves” to vote Republican in the election, however he thinks the crossing over by Democrats had more to do with a lack of interest from their party, having just one contested county government race, and a desire to help State Senator Mike Bohacek of Michiana Shores.   Bohacek, a former Democrat, won the party’s nomination for a third term in the State Senate District 8 race.

Stabosz said he felt another contributing factor in his defeat was “the false and malicious attacks by his political enemies to misrepresent my record and the truth.”

Stabosz said his focus now is on serving the remainder of his term as La Porte County Auditor, which expires on January 1st, and supporting Holifield in the upcoming campaign. There, Holifield will face retired La Porte County Police officer Mike Kellems, who ran unopposed for the Democratic Party nomination.

“We both agreed that we’ll be courteous and nice to each other and run on the facts,” he said. 

The extreme political infighting began after Stabosz and Commissioner Joe Haney took office nearly three and a half years ago.  Most of the allegations have involved ongoing claims of political corruption and county government being run by a "good old boys' club," resulting in fiery exchanges mostly during commission meetings.

La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody has often called for an end to the political fighting.  He feels feels most voters are tired of the negativity and they spoke their minds at the polls on Tuesday.

“It’s great to see those individuals winning that just want to get stuff done.  Enough of the crap.  I think it’s a good day for good government,” Dermody stated.

(La Porte, IN) - The City of La Porte has annexed more ground for another expansion of the Thomas Rose Industrial Park.

The most recent annexation consists of 92 acres of farmland owned by developer Bob Qualls, who requested it to have the property served by municipal water and sewer.

Municipal utility service is prohibited from being extended outside the city limits under an ordinance adopted several years ago.

“I think he recognizes that you’re not a real player in the industrial market unless you’re served by utilities. That access to utilities is absolutely essential to any industrial development so they’re positioning themselves to be successful long term at the site,” said Bert Cook, Executive Director of the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership.

Qualls owns another 17 acres of undeveloped land already in the city that will be part of the expansion of the park, he said. 

Construction of a second spec building owned by Qualls at the park for light industrial use is in the process of being finished.  His first 150,000 square foot spec building constructed about three years ago is fully occupied and leased by Gravure Ink and American Renolit Corporation.

Gravure Ink makes a thin paper containing various designs resembling primarily the grain on trees such as maple, hickory, cherry and oak. The designs on paper are shipped to be glued on plywood and particle board panels used in products like cabinetry.

The rest of the spec building is used by American Renolit Corporation for storage.  The La Porte based company is a maker of plastic films at its manufacturing facility at 1207 E. Lincolnway.  The fllms are used in graphics, signage and the labeling industry.

Cook said he’s not sure how the newly annexed property will specifically be used but feels light industry similar to what’s already in the park will go up on the land.

“That would be the likeliest scenario,” he said.

Cook said he doesn’t expect any problems with attracting industry to the site once water and sewer lines are extended a short distance from the park to the expanded area.

He said there’s rail service for transport of supplies and product to and from the companies along with a NIPSCO substation at the park to meet demand for electricity.

“It makes for really nice sites that are well served by utilities,” he said.

Qualls is owner of Qualls Development Group, which leases industrial space to companies at four different locations in La Porte, Rolling Prairie and Knox.

The company was founded in 1992 when Qualls purchased the old American Home Foods building at Indiana 2 and Fail Road on the city’s east side.  

The 400,000 square facility is now home to Harper Collins Publishing. Other buildings owned by the firm include one on Fail Road occupied by Alpha Baking Co.

Work on developing the Thomas Rose Industrial Park on the city’s northeast side dates to back to the 1990’s.  It grew from just over 100 acres to 344 acres from two expansions in 2008 and 2015 before the latest expansion.

Cook said there are about 20 companies at the park employing roughly 1,000 people.

“It’s been a good project for the city,” he said.

In early March, the city annexed the 39 North Conservancy District consisting of mostly industrial and residential development on about 960 acres of land.

The city plans to increase water capacity at the newly incorporated property to meet demand from anticipated new development.

(Michigan City, IN) - Another man is accused of trying to keep their gambling winnings from going toward back child support.

Brenton Williams, 34, is charged with Level 6 felony cheating at gambling.

According to court records, Williams on February 24 at Blue Chip Casino won just over $1,900 at a slot machine and the entire amount was confiscated as required to pay down a child support debt.

About two weeks later, Williams won a similar amount at a slot machine then asked a man at the casino to sit at his seat at the slot machine he had been playing to collect the winnings.

The man sat down but when a casino worker asked if he had won the jackpot, the man pointed at Williams and stated “he did,” according to court documents.

It’s alleged Williams from having his winnings previously garnished for back support tried getting the man to claim his prize money knowing it would be seized again

La Porte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan said people delinquent in their child support have their information entered into a data base and casinos are required to check the data base prior to giving out winnings.

Lance Halderman, 44, of Michigan City was charged recently with offering a man $100 to collect over $2,000 he won at a slot machine at Blue Chip Casino to avoid having his winnings garnished.

Authorities said he also knew his winnings would be seized after previously having his prize money taken at the casino to pay down back child support.

(Michigan City, IN) - A Michigan City woman is facing potential jail time on allegations she failed to pay a dime in child support since being ordered to more than a decade ago.

Kaitlyn Pahl, 33, of Michigan City was arrested on May 1st for Non-Support of a Child, a Level 6 felony. The case was filed in La Porte Superior Court 1 following an investigation by the child support division of the La Porte County Prosecutor’s Office.

According to court documents, Pahl owes nearly $21,000 in child support. She was ordered to start paying $45 a week in child support on March 18th, 2013, but she allegedly failed to make any payments through February 6th of this year when a complaint was filed by the father of the child.

Pahl could face an up to 30-month sentence.

(La Porte County, IN) - In honor of Teacher Appreciation Day yesterday, Unity Foundation of La Porte County surprised four local teachers with classroom grants.

Unity Foundation invited the public to submit nominations by sharing what makes a teacher they know special, and of the many nominations received, four were randomly selected. As a result, their schools will each receive a $250 grant from the Random Acts of Kindness Fund for Utility Foundation for the teachers to use for classroom items or creative projects to enhance learning.

“Unity Foundation has a long history of supporting students and teachers. In honor of Teacher Appreciation Day, we are thrilled to celebrate these four teachers for the impact they have on their students every day,” said Shannon Walker, Unity Foundation Vice President.

The following teachers and their schools appear below along with the information shared by their nominators.

Melissa Coffeen, Kesling Intermediate (La Porte)
“She teaches the mild program for 5th and 6th grade. These kids need so much encouragement and she provides it. She makes sure she has everything in her room for them. Snacks, games, and drinks. She makes sure that she teaches their grade standards at their level. She is their cheerleader.”

Kyle McCallum, South Central
“Kyle is an absolute amazing teacher! He goes over and beyond to teach his students the importance of the earth’s land. He also packs food bags for underprivileged children every week to be sent home on the weekends. He is the real deal of caring for our children.”

Dan Olson, La Porte High School

“He’s funny. The kids love him. He uses poker to teach statistics. It’s their favorite day of the year. Statistics!”

Josie Southworth, Joy Elementary (Michigan City)

“She has gone beyond the duties required by her job to care for her children. She has shown compassion for not only their academic growth but also their mental and emotional growth and well-being. She is awesome and it has been an honor to have her as my child's teacher.”

To learn more about Unity Foundation or support their work, visit uflc.net.

(Michigan City, IN) - A water main break in Michigan City was a short-lived attraction over the weekend.

The break in the water main was on Woodland Avenue near Normandy Village Apartments.

The water was quickly shut off to begin repairing the line.

(Hammond and Westville, IN) Purdue University Northwest (PNW) will begin recruiting students for its new Master of Social Work (MSW) program, which is expected to enroll its first cohort in fall 2025. The program will prepare advanced generalist social workers who are well-qualified to meet social services needs in our metropolitan region.

“Engaging individuals as partners in the helping process is key to social work,” said Anne Gregory, dean of the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences at PNW. “If you are someone interested in building and strengthening relationships in ways that promote, maintain, and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, organizations, and our communities, then the PNW MSW program is for you." 

The MSW curriculum will center on anti-oppressive social work practice that advocates for social, racial, economic, and environmental justice for all vulnerable populations. After completion of PNW’s MSW degree, graduates will be eligible for social work licensure (LSW). MSW graduates earn qualifications to begin careers in sectors such as mental health, government, hospitals, schools, deaddiction centers, and advocacy agencies.

“The new MSW program will greatly expand PNW's ability to respond to the educational, professional, social service, mental health, and advocacy needs of Northwest Indiana and beyond,” said Mike Johnson, chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences at PNW.

MSW students at PNW will be able to leverage synergistic connections between other related graduate programs at the university, including PNW’s Counseling, Couple and Family Therapy, and Psychology programs.

PNW has offered a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work program since 2016 that is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

To learn more about PNW’s MSW program, visit pnw.edu/msw. Applications will be accepted through January 15th, 2025. More information about graduate studies at PNW is also available at pnw.edu/graduate-studies.

(La Porte County, IN) - Heavy rain and hail the size of golf balls hit parts of the area Tuesday afternoon.

Johnson said very little hail fell where he lives on the south side of Michigan City, yet vehicles belonging to his wife and son suffered extensive hail damage parked on the north side of town when they were at work.

“Little dents everywhere, it’s just bad. I think the car repair shops are going to be pretty busy,” he said.

He snapped a photo of the storm at the lakefront when he went to see the damage done to the vehicles. 

Meanwhile, New Buffalo resident Bob Stratton noted that there was good-sized hail along with very heavy rains and gusty winds.

“It was a pretty intense storm,” he said.

Tornado warnings were issued for the area during the storm, which seemed to impact mostly northern La Porte County and southwest Michigan.

(La Porte County, IN) - A Mill Creek farmer gained the Republican nomination for a seat on the La Porte County Commissioners during Tuesday night’s primary election.  Steve Holifield will face retired La Porte County Police officer Mike Kellems in the November general election.  Kellems was unopposed in the democratic race for the District 2 seat on the three member county commission.

Holifield said he was a little surprised at his victory but credited supporters with helping to get his message out during the campaign.  He defeated La Porte County Auditor Tim Stabosz by well over 500 votes and Martin Smith by nearly two thousand votes.

“My friends, my supporters and people in the county government, especially the employees that have backed me have been telling me we got you, we got you.  You help us, we’ll help you,” he said.

One of his primary messages during the campaign was restoring civility to La Porte County government, which has been embroiled in political fighting since Stabosz became Auditor and Joe Haney joined the Commission in 2021.

“I think people were just tried of the incivility in county government.  I’m not going to knock Tim.  I don’t believe in that,” he said.

Haney, who ran unopposed for the Republican Party nomination in his bid for a second term as District 3 commissioner, will face La Porte County Council President Randy Novak, who ran unopposed for the Democratic Party nomination.

Julianne Havens gained the Republican nomination in the race for La Porte Circuit Court Judge by defeating Charles D. Watterson, IV and Kurt Earnst.  Havens received 41 percent of the vote to 30 percent for Watterson and 28 percent Earnst.  There were no Democratic candidates for La Porte Circuit Judge, but the party will have an opportunity to slate a candidate in the race for November.

La Porte County Clerk Heather Stevens, a Republican, and Angie Henzman, a Democrat, will face each other in November after running unopposed for their respective party nominations for Clerk.

La Porte County Councillman Mike Rosenbaum defeated Rhonda Graves for the Republican nomination in the La Porte County Auditor’s race.  Rosenbaum received 55-percent of the vote. No Democrats sought the party’s nomination in the race for Auditor.

La Porte County Recorder Ela Bilderback gained the Republican nomination in her bid for a second term.  She defeated former La Porte City Councilwoman Sharon Kirkham by four percent of the vote.

Dan Barenie won the Republican nomination for La Porte County Treasurer over Juanita Haney by just over 1,000 votes.  Barenie will face incumbent Treasurer Joie Winski, who was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Brett Kessler, Adam Koronka and Heather Oake gained the republican nomination for three La Porte County Council At-Large seats. Local contractor Mitch Feikes finished fourth in that race by just 32 votes.

Incumbent Mike Mollenhauer along with Johnny Stimley and Scott Ford won the Democratic Party nominations for three La Porte County Council At-Large seats by easily outdistancing Timothy Cavinder and Anthony Hicks.

Incumbent La Porte County Coroner Lynn Swanson, a Republican, will face Democrat Mark Baker in November. Both of them ran unopposed for their respective party nominations.

La Porte County Surveyor Anthony Hendricks also ran unopposed for the Republican nomination and will face Democrat John Matwyshyn, who also did not have a primary challenger.

(La Porte County, IN) - The 2024 Primary Election Results are complete in La Porte County.  Overall, 11,536 votes were cast for a 14.89% voter turnout in La Porte County.

While these are considered "unofficial" results, they are the final results as reported on Election night for the "contested" races in La Porte County. 

(R) President of the United States
     19.32% Nikki R. Haley
      80.68% Donald J. Trump

(R) Indiana Governor
     48.35% Mike Braun
     16.07% Brad Chambers
     23.27% Suzanne Crouch

     4.47% Eric Doden
     3.19% Curtis Hill
     4.66% Jamie Reitenour

(R) U.S. Representative District 1
     24.38% Mark Leyva
     51.57% Randy Niemeyer
     24.04% Ben Ruiz

(R) State Senator District 8
     47.64% Mike Bohacek
     27.53% Spencer England
     24.83% Joe Layne

(R) State Representative District 07
     21.05% Timothy J. Jaycox
     78.95% Jake Teshka

(R) State Representative District 20
     25.96% Richard A. Horner
     74.04% Jim Pressel

(R) Circuit Court Judge 32nd Circuit
     28.45% Kurt R. Earnst
     41.13% Julianne K. Havens
     30.42% Charles D. Watterson IV

(R) La Porte County Auditor
     44.40% Rhonda Graves
     55.60% Mike Rosenbaum

(R) La Porte County Recorder
     52.10% Elzbieta (Ela) Bilderback
     47.9% Sharon K. Kirkham

(R) La Porte County Treasurer
     57.90% Dan Barenie
     42.10% Juanita Haney

(R) County Commissioner District 2

     44.69% Steve Holifield
     18.32% Martin C. Smith 
     36.99% Timothy J. Stabosz

(R) County Council Member At Large - Vote for 3
     24.07% Mitch Feikes
     26.97% Brett H. Kessler
     24.68% Adam Koronka
     24.27% Heather Oake

(D) County Council Member At Large - Vote for 3
     15.88% Timothy Cavinder
     21.23% Scott (Scotty) Ford
     14.41% Anthony Hicks
     25.98% Mike Mollenhauer
     22.51% Johnny Stimley

Listen to 96.7 The Eagle on Wednesday morning for full coverage of the election results from Hometown News Now.

(La Porte, IN) - The death of a La Porte County Jail inmate today is under investigation as Coltyn Nowatzke, 27, was found by an inmate in the same cell to be in need of emergency assistance at about 8 a.m. per La Porte County Police.

Responding jail officers and medical staff found Nowatzke unresponsive. There, efforts began to try and resuscitate Nowatzke, who was transported to Northwest Health where he was later pronounced dead.  Nowatzke had been in the jail since May 3rd when he was arrested by Michigan City Police for violating his probation.

No further information has been released due to the ongoing investigation.

According to court records, it appears he violated probation when he was caught driving on a suspended license while out on bond for a charge of Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated.

(La Porte County, IN) - La Porte County Auditor Tim Stabosz is accusing another elected official of putting out a flyer urging people not to vote for him as county commissioner.

Stabosz said he strongly believes the five-page flyer is the work of La Porte County Commissioner Connie Gramarossa, who’s been blasting him on local radio stations the past few days leading up to today’s primary election. Stabosz alleged that Gramarossa wants to try and stop him and Commissioner Joe Haney from gaining the Republican nomination for seats on the three-member County Commission.

“My hope is the public can see this for what it is. Someone who’s completely off the rails, who had disgraced herself in the Republican Party,” he said.

One of the wings in the fractured party is upset with Gramarossa for switching her support from Haney to Commissioner Rich Mrozinski several weeks after taking her seat on the commission last year. 

“This flyer attacks a dozen different people.  It’s not something we need but it’s par for the course for the Gramarossa’s. People call her Chicago Connie for a reason,” he said.

Gramarossa has denied having any involvement with the flyer.

“That’s an absolute lie,” she said.

Gramarossa said she’s been on the radio trying to “let people know what the county employees have been trying to deal with for the last three and a half years” while Stabosz has been county auditor.

“He has weaponized his office, gone after department heads, gone after employees within his own department is absolutely wrong,” she said.

Gramarossa said that even though she had nothing to do with the flyer, the information on it, such as past-due bills Stabosz failed to pay since 2023, is accurate.

“Did we not lose our bond rating during his administration? These are functions that belong to the auditor’s office,” she said.

Gramarossa, who’s not up for reelection this year, said not everybody over the years has been happy at times with county government, but what’s been happening regularly in recent years has been extreme.

“We haven’t had the type of chaos and destruction in the county since they both took office and that is the truth. That is truth,” she said. 

(La Porte County, IN) - An anonymous flyer casting the La Porte County Auditor and candidate for La Porte County Commissioner Tim Stabosz in a very negative light has been posted on social media as today’s primary election winds down.

The flyer, among other things, accuses Stabosz of ruining the county government's credit rating and weaponizing his office to go after anyone, including other Republicans, who oppose his alleged agenda. Stabosz is also accused of being in control of a majority of the La Porte County Republican Party.

“Now he wants to be your county commissioner!” the flyer states.

The flyer also alleges other Republican candidates for elected office are controlled by Stabosz and it’s time to “put an end to this dynasty” by voting for Republican candidates not connected to Stabosz.

Commissioner Joe Haney, who’s running unopposed for the Republican Party nomination for a second term, said all of the allegations in the flyer, including those against him, are not true. He said the flyer, which shows the other faction of the party he described as “The Swamp,” is desperate.

“I think it’s pretty laughable. It just shows the desperation that some folks are willing to go to maintain the status quo. Nothing on it is accurate,” he said.

Stabosz is opposed in the race for commissioner by Martin Smith and Steve Holifield.

(La Porte, IN) - La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody hopes whoever is elected to county government this year will be open to removing truck traffic from downtown.

Kingsbury Industrial Park will soon be serviced by two major railroads and that could attract major employers, along with more trucks hauling supplies to those companies, through downtown La Porte. Dermody urged that the time to start building new roads leading trucks to their destinations without having to go through downtown is now.

“Let’s do things right and let’s quit worrying about just getting reelected or not doing anything to get reelected, and let’s start putting some roads down,” he said.

CSX Railroad recently began moving train cars in and out of the park to service the needs of companies. CSX and Canadian National Railroad could be servicing the entire park soon because the final rail connections creating a loop for them to do so are expected to be done by the end of this month.

Currently, a majority of the La Porte County Commissioners are opposed to building a truck route around the downtown area so as to avoid disrupting rural areas of the county.

(La Porte County, IN) - Voter turnout for the primary election today in La Porte County appears to be steady, as La Porte County Clerk Heather Stevens said that 1,364 people countywide had voted today by 8:30 this morning. 

She also noted how just over one hundred of those votes were cast at the Kankakee Township Volunteer Fire Department in Rolling Prairie, and that other “hot spots” included voting centers at the Scipio and Center Township volunteer fire departments.

“It’s a good start,” she said.

Poll worker Sacha Gee Burns at Hanna United Methodist Church said about a dozen people an hour were there voting this morning, “which is pretty good for the primaries.”

“It’s been pretty steady,” she said.

Stevens said turnout is not quite as good in Michigan City.  Michigan City is heavily democratic, with just one race contested among five Democrats currently seeking the party’s nomination for three open seats for La Porte County Council At-Large.

(La Porte County, IN) - Letter carriers both locally and across the nation will be picking up more than just mail on Saturday, May 11th, as that day will mark the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, an event organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers.

Residents in the Michigan City and La Porte areas are encouraged to leave donations of non-perishable food items in their mailboxes to be collected by the letter carriers and received by organizations like the Salvation Army of Michigan City

Major Becky Simmons, who oversees the Salvation Army branch in Michigan City with her husband, Dale, said even just one canned food item left by a person at their mailbox is appreciated.

“This food drive comes at the perfect time of year. Children will be out of school over the coming summer months and, without school breakfast and lunch available, there is more strain on our low-income families to put food on the table, especially now as we are all facing the rising cost of food,” she said.

Nathaniel Phillips, a Michigan City letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service, said, “As letter carriers, we are out in the community every day, we know our community and we see people who are in need. This is a way that we can give back and help our neighbors.”

More information about the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive can be found by visiting www.nalc.org/community-service/food-drive or contacting The Salvation Army of Michigan City at (219) 874-6885.

Early voting for the Primary Election Tuesday is now over, having concluded at noon today.

La Porte County Clerk Heather Stevens said more than 1,800 hundred early votes were cast throughout the county and most of those came from La Porte. Just over 800 votes were cast in La Porte at the green space building on Brighton Street while 469 votes were cast at the Hope Center in Michigan City. Stevens also noted that more than 320 people cast ballots on the Mobile Voting Unit, which visited a variety of locations countywide over the past several weeks.

Over 170 votes were cast at Wanatah Town Hall and just over 80 people voted early at the Wills Township Community Center.

Election Day is tomorrow with polls open at 39 voting center locations throughout the county from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

(Michigan City, IN) - A Red Cross-sponsored blood drive has been scheduled for Wednesday in Michigan City.

The blood drive will be at City Hall at 100 East Michigan Boulevard from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

To schedule an appointment, people can call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter challmc.

(Kingsford Heights, IN) - Nobody was injured but a vintage car was damaged in a motor vehicle accident related to alcohol in Kingsford Heights.

James Davis, 75, was arrested for Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated following a late-night crash Saturday at Wayland Road and Larchmere Road. The investigation shows Davis sideswiped an oncoming 2017 Jeep Commander with his red 1965 Chevy Corvair, per La Porte County Police. Davis told investigators he was returning home from the American Legion Post 434 in Kingsford Heights where he had reportedly watched the Kentucky Derby.

The other driver, Jordyn Soffa, 24, told police he had slowed down almost to a complete stop to make a right-hand turn just prior to the collision.

Davis, who lives just south of La Porte, had an alleged blood alcohol level of .11 percent.

(La Porte County, IN) - The crash of a small plane in La Porte County is under investigation.

The plane went down Saturday in a field in the area of 850 East and 150 North, and La Porte County Police note that the pilot suffered only a minor injury in the process.

No further information has been released, nor light shed on the cause of the crash, which remains currently under investigation. 

(La Porte, IN) - Since taking office over three years ago, La Porte County Recorder Ela Bilderback has been on a mission to properly preserve property records.

In the heart of the county courthouse is a two-story vault that houses property records dating back to 1833, a year after La Porte County was founded. Unfortunately, over the years, the stash of records has been neglected. According to Bilderback, the vault had become a storage closet, full of boxes and outdated computer equipment, while old record books sat slowly deteriorating. She said the county’s maintenance and IT departments were very helpful in the cleanup process. After clearing out the junk, she set out to curate the historic records. “They’re giant, beautiful books,” said Bilderback. “The early ones are hand-written.”

Bilderback has partnered with HF Group, a company in North Manchester, which specializes in government record preservation, following guidelines from the Library of Congress. Bilderback sends them out 25 at a time. Most of the work involves neutralizing acid on the paper. Other books need repair.

“There was a lot of scotch tape used,” she said. “One actually has duct tape holding the front cover. And from being handled for a hundred years or more, oils from fingers caused the paper to become brittle.” Now the old books are getting the cotton-glove treatment. According to Bilderback, her office has preserved about 125 books, with as many as 300 left to go, plus some other old records.

She can’t create the 35-degree environment that a professional document archive requires, but she has improved airflow in the vault by installing a fan.

Paying for the preservation comes from money already in the recorder’s budget. It’s a labor of love for Bilderback and her dedicated staff.

“This is what we’re supposed to do,” said Bilderback. “My office has the responsibility to take care of those records, to make sure they’re preserved, taken care of properly. I love history, and I would hate to see them not taken care of,” she explained. “I saw the need, and I felt that it should be done.”

Bilderback doesn’t know why previous recorders didn’t keep up with preservation. She guesses they were preoccupied with the office’s day-to-day operations. “I feel that I can do both,” she said. Bilderback said she took advantage of the recent slowdown in the real estate market (fewer properties bought and sold means fewer recordings) to focus efforts on “housekeeping.” Her office also maintains microfilm copies of all documents, as required by state law, as well as electronic backups.

Bilderback says she has a heart for the job. In her spare time, she serves as vice president of Preserve Historic La Porte. She knows firsthand how important the records are to owners of historic properties.

(South Bend, IN) - The legal fight over abortion in Indiana is apparently far from over. An area pro-life group is suing the state Department of Health.

Voices for Life, based in South Bend, filed a complaint this week in a Marion County court to gain access to abortion records. The lawsuit alleges that in December, the health department stopped disclosing Termination of Pregnancy Reports (TPRs). Though highly restricted now by state law, abortions do still take place.

According to Melanie Lyon, Executive Director of Voices for Life, her group monitors abortions and has filed over 700 complaints in the past two years based on reports, which are now being withheld. She alleges the health department’s new policy is a tactic to skirt around the state’s abortion ban. Lyon told HTNN that a recent quarterly report indicated a baby born alive after a botched abortion. She referred to several similar occurrences in the past two years.

According to documents filed in the lawsuit, the health department's current stance is that abortion reports are confidential medical records.

The withholding of TPRs has received the attention of Republican gubernatorial candidates, as well as state Attorney General Todd Rokita, who joined Lyon at a press conference this week. According to Rokita, his office is barred by state law from investigating until private parties file suit. He has issued a non-binding legal opinion that TPRs should be matters of public record.

The Department of Health has until May 22nd to respond to the legal complaint.

(Indianapolis, IN) - A few energy efficiency initiatives in the area are receiving grant funding from the state.

Indiana’s Office of Energy Development is doling out $1.4 million. Over half of that is going to programs in northern Indiana.

Marshall County and the towns of Plymouth and Walkerton are receiving a total of over $450,000 for electric vehicles and charging stations. Michigan City has been awarded $98,000 to hire a renewable energy consulting firm to plan solar installations at Michigan City Zoo, Washington Park, and nearby city properties. The goal of that project is to lower carbon emissions, save energy, and lower the city’s operational costs.

“We are excited to announce our selection of these communities and their thoughtful proposals outlined in their applications,” said Ryan Hadley, executive director of the Indiana Office of Energy Development. “Innovative local ideas are essential for impactful energy solutions. Everyone benefits from practical, creative concepts.” The projects are anticipated to be completed within two years or less.

(Michigan City, IN) - Michigan City planners are trying to stir up development for a vital area of the city’s downtown.

Proposals are being sought for three contiguous properties along 5^th Street just east of Pine. A combination of mixed-use residential and retail, along with parking and green space is being envisioned for the approximately eight acres. Planners are looking to tie in future development along Trail Creek with the existing downtown commercial district. They hope $450 million of recent and ongoing development in the area will spur additional investment.

City leaders will be hosting an information session for interested developers on Tuesday, May 14th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at City Hall.