WVPE 88.1 Public Radio

Republican Mike Rogers has accused Democrat Abdul El-Sayed of being linked to Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood, but has not provided evidence — and the evidence available doesn't match the accusations.

Residents of South Bend’s Rum Village neighborhood may be able to get free home repairs. The neighborhood is the focus of Rebuilding Together St Joseph County’s 2027 program.

LaPorte County residents could soon be paying more in income tax. The county council is set to vote Monday on a local income tax of 0.2 percent to be set aside for emergency medical services. That would bring LaPorte County’s total local income tax rate to 1.65 percent.

The city of Elkhart on Thursday celebrated efforts to add affordable housing, but officials say more is still needed.

The latest round of Federal Railroad Administration grants includes funding for some northern Indiana projects. More than $2.3 billion in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program grants were announced this week.

A “rental registration and inspection program” was officially adopted by the Mishawaka Common Council on Monday. Landlords have 180 days to register their rental units. They’ll be inspected by the city at least once every three years, at a cost of $150.

Starke County has approved a ban on data center development. An ordinance approved by the county commissioners Monday prohibits commercial data centers from all zoning districts in unincorporated areas of Starke County.

Medical offices could bring new life to a former shopping mall in Michigan City. Franciscan Health says it’s planning to turn the Marquette Mall’s former J.C. Penney store into a 120,000-square-foot medical office building.

More than 100 people gathered outside the Gov. Mike Braun’s official residence in Indianapolis Saturday for a rally urging voters to turn out in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Saturday brought another round of No Kings demonstrations. This time, this focus was on voting early. In South Bend, protesters rallied in Leeper Park, and then demonstrated along Michigan Street.

Those impacted by the June 11 tornado can now apply for federal disaster loans. The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved a disaster declaration for Elkhart County and those surrounding it.

Michiana officials are hopeful that South Bend Union Station will one day host Amtrak service, but they warn the process won’t be quick.

The St. Joseph County Clerk’s Office is reassuring voters that their ballots are correct, after an apparent map discrepancy caused confusion with the South Bend School Board ballot.

Less than a year after it launched, Cass Family Clinic's mobile unit has now served its 1,000th patient. The mobile clinic makes regular visits to various locations in Southwest Michigan, offering a full range of services from primary care and vaccinations to mental health and lab services.

Railfans can start making plans to see this year’s CPKC Holiday Train. The railroad unveiled its schedule this week.

Michiana residents are concerned about roadway safety, and they want better public transit and facilities for bikes, pedestrians and buggies. That’s according to input given to the Michiana Area Council of Governments at recent community events.

The Marshall County Commissioners have voted to cover up the county’s Flock cameras but leave them in place. Still, questions remain about who actually has authority over them.

Berrien County has approved incentives for another workforce housing development. Orchard View Lofts would bring 144 apartments to the area near I-94 and Niles Road in St. Joseph Township.

South Bend is promising an increased police presence for this weekend’s Fusion Fest. The event will bring food vendors, musical acts and other activities to Howard Park on Saturday and Sunday.

Hoosiers enrolled in the Healthy Indiana Plan will soon have to meet new work requirements. State officials will outline the changes Thursday during a town hall in South Bend.

Two people are dead and a third is in critical condition, after a shooting on South Bend’s northeast side Saturday night. This was less than a mile away from an earlier shooting at Eddy Street Commons that left two people with non-life-threatening injuries, including a police officer.

In the race for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate, one big gap in policy is in health care. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has been an advocate for Medicare for All for well over a decade. Republican Mike Rogers is not in favor of such wholesale changes.

A shooting at Eddy Street Commons triggered a large police response near the start of Saturday’s Notre Dame football game. A woman was reportedly hurt, and a police officer was apparently hit by shrapnel or a ricochet.

An effort to pause data center development in Michigan City has itself been paused. The city council on Tuesday tabled a proposed moratorium ordinance, by a vote of eight-to-one.

An hours-long manhunt in rural LaPorte County ended with a man dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, while an Elkhart woman was taken into custody.

Efforts to bring medical care into underserved parts of Southwest Michigan are proving successful, according to Cass Family Clinic CEO Joseph Gavan.

Cass County, Michigan’s prosecutor will stay in the position through 2028. Sarah Scoggin was appointed on an interim basis back in May, following the resignation of Victor Fitz. Now, the county says she’s agreed to stay until Fitz’s term ends.

Osceola’s railroad crossings are leading to concerns about traffic congestion and roadway safety. Those were some of the top comments heard from the public, during an ongoing rail corridor study.

The Michigan City Police Department still wants to expand its use of Flock Safety equipment, despite an investigation into an officer’s misuse of the technology and other communities cutting ties with the company.

The team studying Osceola’s railroad crossings is giving residents an update. Public information sessions will be held tonight (Wednesday) and Thursday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Moran Elementary School.

The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office says the man accused of shooting a deputy should not get a plea agreement. Deputy Jon Samuelson was critically injured back in May, when Sharod Grafton allegedly shot him three times at a Michigan City hospital.

During a visit to Notre Dame on Friday, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh recalled his experience working in the White House on 9/11. Friday’s discussion was framed as a way to help students who weren’t alive 25 years ago understand the events of that day.

Funding for Flock cameras will not be included in Kosciusko County’s 2027 budget. The county council voted Thursday to withhold funding for any automated license plate readers or similar equipment.

Marshall County may have a tougher time adjusting its Flock camera contract. Last month, the county commissioners voted to move from two-year to one-year contracts, but it turns out that the county switched to a five-year contract back in 2023.

Students applying to the University of Notre Dame will once again have to take the SAT or ACT. The university says it’ll reinstate its standardized testing requirement for first-year and transfer applicants, seeking to enroll as undergraduates in fall 2028.

The Starke County Sheriff’s Office will not renew its contract for Flock cameras. In a Facebook post Tuesday, the department said Sheriff Jack Rosa made the decision “in the best interest of the community.”

The Marshall County prosecutor has opted not to file criminal charges against a woman who allegedly made a false child welfare complaint against former South Bend mayor and U.S. transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Unauthorized Flock camera searches have reportedly led to the resignation of a Michigan City police officer. The police department says a routine audit of Flock system activity turned up searches that violated its policies.

The National New York Central Railroad Museum is bidding farewell to a historic steam engine. Mohawk No. 3001 has been housed in Elkhart since the 1980s, but it’s been transferred to the Fort Wayne Railroad, in the hopes that it’ll be able to get it running again.

When asked whether Indiana’s stadium package is more beneficial to Indiana or Illinois, Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago) said it’ll be “a win-win for both.”

Recent prolonged power outages could lead to changes in state law next session.

In a visit to South Bend on Saturday, members of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus criticized new laws letting the governor give police powers to the Indiana National Guard, merging several “cultural commissions” into one, and prohibiting sleeping in public spaces.

NIPSCO says it’s offering help for residents who experienced lengthy power outages, but one state lawmaker thinks the company should do more.

A prayer service is planned in South Bend this weekend, calling for an end to ICE detention at the Miami Correctional Facility.

Goshen residents will have to pay a fee for trash and recycling pickup, starting next year. The new environmental service fee will start at seven dollars a month in January and then go up to $14.50 in 2028.

Bringing Amtrak service to downtown South Bend isn’t a done deal, but a $3.8 million federal planning grant means it’s closer than it’s ever been. That was the message shared by city and Amtrak officials Wednesday.

LaPorte County may consider lowering its proposed wheel tax. As written, the proposed ordinance would impose a $25 excise tax on passenger cars, starting next year, and a $15 tax on motorcycles. There would also be a $40 wheel tax on larger vehicles, like semi-trucks and RVs.

Officials are working to reassure residents that South Bend’s LaSalle Park area is safe, but the Environmental Protection Agency continues to analyze the site.

The man accused of holding five people hostage at a Mishawaka home last December and shooting at SWAT officers has been found guilty on all counts. The St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office says Chad Bean, 54, was convicted on all 14 counts Friday, after a weeklong jury trial.

Efforts to determine the exact location of the Michigan-Indiana State Line are moving forward in Cass County. The county commissioners Thursday agreed to hire DLZ to survey the county’s portion of the state line, at a cost of $70,800.