Latest news with #MichiganCity
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Business news: Healthcare scholarships and networking event
Two LaPorte County high school seniors with future healthcare career goals each recently received Franciscan Health Michigan City Medical Staff Memorial Scholarships, according to a release. Tri-Township High School senior Caloe Peretti, 17, of Wanatah, and Michigan City High School senior Naomi Williams, 18, of Michigan City, were both selected by the Franciscan Health Michigan City Medical Staff Scholarship Committee as the 2025 scholarship recipients. Williams will attend the University of Indianapolis this fall to study biology, with the goal of becoming an emergency medical technician. Peretti will attend St. Mary's College of Notre Dame this fall to study nursing. The scholarships are needs-based and place an emphasis on students who are the first in their families to attend college, the release said. Rotary Means Business Northwest Indiana is bringing Rotary clubs from Merrillville, Schererville, Hammond and Valparaiso together for a June 6 Launch Networking Event, a release said. The event, open to the public, will take place from 4:30–7 p.m. at the Purdue Technology Center, 9800 Connecticut Drive, Crown Point. The event is designed to connect and empower business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals, and community leaders from across the Region, while also introducing the mission and advocacy work of Rotary Clubs throughout Northwest Indiana, the release said. For information, email jskibbie@ The Valparaiso Family YMCA recently welcomed five new members to its Board of Directors, according to a release. Those elected include Anna Kenney, Rachel Zulich Wallace, Pastor Jared Kendall, Mike Telesky and Meagan Koutsopanagos. The individuals bring a wealth of experience, insight, and passion to support the Y's mission of strengthening the spirit, mind, and body of every individual in our community, the release said. The new board members will serve alongside a team of returning directors and officers who continue to champion initiatives that expand outreach, deepen impact, and uphold the Y's core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. For more information about the Valparaiso Family YMCA's leadership or how to get involved, visit Two Valparaiso University students have won top honors in an international role-playing game writing competition, according to a release. Nolan Brezina took first place with his Dungeon Crawl Classics-compatible Adventure, 'Creeping Dread,' and Bryanna Bass was awarded third place for 'The Sirens of Huntby Gulf.' Both adventures were assignments written for the English 280: Writing Roleplaying Games course led by Martin Buinicki, professor of English. The contest was organized by Philippe Lépinard, of the Université Paris-Est Créteil, and included participants from France, Spain, and the United States. Judges included the French translator of Dungeon Crawl Classics, Emmanuel Bouteille, and Michael Curtis, director of DCC Product Development for Goodman Games, the release said. The class is part of the university's minor in Game Narrative and Design. Franciscan Health WorkingWell, a program that offers occupational health services to businesses and industry, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Franciscan first introduced WorkingWell in June 2005 as a regional initiative. Since then, the program has grown to encompass 18 WorkingWell offices in Northwest Indiana, central Indiana, western Indiana and the south Chicago suburbs, a release said. Among the numerous services offered by Franciscan WorkingWell are physicals, drug and alcohol screening, vaccinations and immunizations, injury treatment, injury prevention programs and fitness for duty evaluations. For more information, visit
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Michigan City officer's shooting of South Bend man ruled justified due to 'deadly threat'
The actions of a Michigan City officer who fatally shot a South Bend man during a pursuit in April 2025 were ruled justified. On May 29, the Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney's office, acting as special prosecutor, found that the officer who shot a man on April 4 was legally justified in using deadly force to defend himself. Michigan City Police identified the officer who fired his gun as Sgt. Michael Oberle — a 15-year veteran of the department, The Tribune's reporting partners at WNDU-TV said — however a report from the prosecutor's office does not identify the officer by name. A Michigan City officer conducted a traffic stop around 5:30 p.m. at the 5800 block of South Franklin Street, near Walmart, for driving without headlights in reduced visibility, a Michigan City Police Department press release said. The driver and passenger in the car gave the officer their names. However, the passenger's name, who identified himself as 'Jose Martinez,' was associated with several active warrants, the prosecutor's office said. The officer began to investigate if the passenger was the same man, the prosecutor's press release said, but at this time, the passenger, who was later identified as Jose Meza, fled from the vehicle. Multiple officers, including Oberle, pursued Meza — a 21-year-old from South Bend — and observed Meza pull a firearm from his waistband and point it at the officers, the prosecutor's office said. Oberle was backing up the officer that initially conducted the traffic stop, Michigan City Police Chief Marty Corley told The Tribune. Meza fled across parking lots and hedges at a business before pointing his gun at Oberle, the prosecutor said. 'Believing that Meza posed a deadly threat, (Oberle) fired multiple shots, striking Meza,' the prosecutor's office report said. Meza fell to the ground, began to reach for his gun and Oberle fired two more shots, the prosecutor said. Meza was rendered first aid and transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the press release said. Indiana State Police District 13 Criminal Investigations Division investigated the shooting, finding evidence that showed Meza attempted to fire multiple times, but his gun malfunctioned, the prosecutor's office said. Oberle was placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation, a press release from Michigan City Police Department said. Indiana State Police presented the investigation to the county prosecutor's office for further review on May 21. The investigation is now closed, Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney Jacob R. Taulman said in a news release, and no charges were filed against Oberle. Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at csarabia@ This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Michigan City cop faces no charges as fatal shooting ruled 'justified'
Fox News
20-05-2025
- Fox News
Indiana executes man who killed police officer in 2000
An Indiana man convicted in the fatal shooting of a police officer in 2000 was executed Tuesday by lethal injection in the state's second execution in 15 years. Benjamin Ritchie, 45, had been on Indiana's death row since 2002, when he was convicted of killing Beech Grove Police Officer Bill Toney during a chase on foot. Ritchie was executed at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, according to Indiana Department of Correction officials. IDOC said in a statement that the process started shortly after midnight and Ritchie was pronounced dead at 12:46 a.m. Ritchie's last meal was from Olive Garden, and he expressed love, support and peace for his friends and family, according to the statement. Under state law, he was allowed five witnesses at his execution, which included his attorney, Steve Schutte, who told reporters he had a limited view of the process. "I couldn't see his face. He was lying flat by that time," Schutte said. "He sat up, twitched, laid back down." The process was carried out hours after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take the case, exhausting all of Ritchie's legal options to fight the death sentence. Dozens of people, both anti-death penalty advocates and supporters of Toney, stood outside the prison until early Tuesday. Indiana resumed executions in December after a yearslong hiatus due to a scarcity of lethal injection drugs nationwide. Prison officials provided photos of the execution chamber before Joseph Corcoran's execution, showing a space that looks like an operating room with a gurney, fluorescent lighting and an adjacent viewing room. They've since offered few other details. Among 27 states with death penalty laws, Indiana is one of two that bars media witnesses. The other, Wyoming, has conducted one execution in the last half-century. The Associated Press and other media organizations filed a federal lawsuit in Indiana seeking media access, but a federal judge denied a preliminary injunction last week that would have allowed journalists to witness Ritchie's execution and future ones. The judge found that barring the news media doesn't violate the First Amendment nor does it single out the news media for unequal treatment. The execution in Indiana is among 12 scheduled in eight states this year. Ritchie's execution and two others in Texas and Tennessee will be carried out this week. Ritchie was 20 when he and others stole a van in Beech Grove, near Indianapolis. He then fired at Toney during a foot chase, killing him. At the time, Ritchie was on probation for a 1998 burglary conviction. Toney, 31, had worked at the Beech Grove Police Department for two years. The married father of two was the first officer of the small department to be killed by gunfire in the line of duty. Relatives spoke at a clemency hearing last week in support of the execution. "It's time. We're all tired," said Dee Dee Horen, who was Toney's wife. "It is time for this chapter of my story, our story, to be closed. It's time for us to remember Bill, to remember Bill's life, and not his death." Ritchie's attorneys have fought the death sentence, arguing his legal counsel at trial was ineffective because his lawyers failed to fully investigate and present evidence on his fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and childhood lead exposure. Current defense attorneys say Ritchie suffered "severe brain damage" because his mother abused alcohol and drugs during pregnancy, and he's struggled with decision-making. He was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2005. Disability rights advocates argued that Ritchie's brain damage should have excluded him from the death penalty. "This is a foolish, senseless, agonizing waste of time and money," said Schutte, who added that Ritchie was no longer "the same person who committed that crime." Attorney General Todd Rokita said the execution honored Toney's "sacrifice to the community." Republican Gov. Mike Braun rejected Ritchie's clemency bid last week without explanation. The Indiana Supreme Court denied a request to stop the execution. Ritchie's attorneys challenged that decision in federal court, which a judge rejected. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the lower court on Sunday. As the sun set on Monday, the Rev. Richard Holy, a Catholic priest, recited the rosary with about 20 people in the prison parking lot. "We don't have to keep taking one life to exact justice for taking another," he said. Dozens also showed up to honor Toney's memory. "I support the death penalty in certain cases and this is one of them," said Mark Hamner, an Indianapolis-area officer. Attorneys said Ritchie changed during his more than two decades behind bars and had shown remorse. In court as a young man, Ritchie smiled at Horen and laughed as the verdict was read. He told a parole board he deeply regretted his actions, especially how he acted with Toney's widow. "I wish I could go back to the day in court, because that man's wife deserved to say everything she needed to say to me, and that punk kid should have just kept his mouth shut and let her say whatever she needed to say," Ritchie said. Ritchie, who was also a father, spent his last days getting visits from friends and family. "I've ruined my life and other people's lives, and I'm so sorry for that night," he told the parole board earlier this month. "You can't take back what you did."
CTV News
20-05-2025
- CTV News
Man executed for the 2000 killing of a police officer in Indiana's second execution in 15 years
This undated photo provided by the Indiana Department of Correction shows Benjamin Ritchie, who was convicted in the 2000 killing of Beech Grove Police Officer Bill Toney. (Indiana Department of Correction via AP) MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. -- An Indiana man convicted in the fatal shooting of a police officer in 2000 was executed Tuesday by lethal injection in the state's second execution in 15 years. Benjamin Ritchie, 45, had been on Indiana's death row since 2002, when he was convicted of killing Beech Grove Police Officer Bill Toney during a chase on foot. Ritchie was executed at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, according to Indiana Department of Correction officials. IDOC said in a statement that the process started shortly after midnight and Ritchie was pronounced dead at 12:46 a.m. Ritchie's last meal was from the Olive Garden and he expressed love, support and peace for his friends and family, according to the statement. Under state law, he was allowed five witnesses at his execution, which included his attorney Steve Schutte, who told reporters he had a limited view of the process. 'I couldn't see his face. He was lying flat by that time,' Schutte said. 'He sat up, twitched, laid back down.' The process was carried out hours after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take the case, exhausting all of Ritchie's legal options to fight the death sentence. Dozens of people, both anti-death penalty advocates and supporters of Toney, stood outside the prison until early Tuesday. Indiana resumed executions in December after a yearslong hiatus due to a scarcity of lethal injection drugs nationwide. Prison officials provided photos of the execution chamber before Joseph Corcoran's execution, showing a space that looks like an operating room with a gurney, fluorescent lighting and an adjacent viewing room. They've since offered few other details. Among 27 states with death penalty laws, Indiana is one of two that bars media witnesses. The other, Wyoming, has conducted one execution in the last half-century. The Associated Press and other media organizations filed a federal lawsuit in Indiana seeking media access, but a federal judge denied a preliminary injunction last week that would have allowed journalists to witness Ritchie's execution and future ones. The judge found that barring the news media doesn't violate the First Amendment nor does it single out the news media for unequal treatment. The execution in Indiana is among 12 scheduled in eight states this year. Ritchie's execution and two others in Texas and Tennessee will be carried out this week. The 2000 fatal shooting of a police officer Ritchie was 20 when he and others stole a van in Beech Grove, near Indianapolis. He then fired at Toney during a foot chase, killing him. At the time Ritchie was on probation from a 1998 burglary conviction. Toney, 31, had worked at the Beech Grove Police Department for two years. The married father of two was the first officer of the small department to be killed by gunfire in the line of duty. Relatives spoke at a clemency hearing last week in support of the execution. 'It's time. We're all tired,' said Dee Dee Horen, who was Toney's wife. 'It is time for this chapter of my story, our story, to be closed. It's time for us to remember Bill, to remember Bill's life, and not his death.' Appealing a death sentence Ritchie's attorneys have fought the death sentence, arguing his legal counsel at trial was ineffective because his lawyers failed to fully investigate and present evidence on his fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and childhood lead exposure. Current defense attorneys say Ritchie suffered 'severe brain damage' because his mother abused alcohol and drugs during pregnancy and he's struggled with decision-making. He was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2005. Disability rights advocates argued that Ritchie's brain damage should have excluded him from the death penalty. 'This is a foolish, senseless, agonizing waste of time and money,' said Schutte, who added that Ritchie was no longer 'the same person who committed that crime.' Attorney General Todd Rokita said the execution honored Toney's 'sacrifice to the community.' Republican Gov. Mike Braun rejected Ritchie's clemency bid last week without explanation. The Indiana Supreme Court denied a request to stop the execution. Ritchie's attorneys challenged that decision in federal court, which a judge rejected. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the lower court on Sunday. As the sun set Monday, the Rev. Richard Holy, a Catholic priest, recited the rosary with about 20 people in the prison parking lot. 'We don't have to keep taking one life to exact justice for taking another,' he said. Dozens also showed up to honor Toney's memory. 'I support the death penalty in certain cases and this is one of them,' said Mark Hamner, an Indianapolis-area officer. Expressing regret and awaiting execution Attorneys said Ritchie changed during his more than two decades behind bars and had shown remorse. In court as a young man, Ritchie smiled at Horen and laughed as the verdict was read. He told a parole board he deeply regretted his actions, especially how he acted with Toney's widow. 'I wish I could go back to the day in court, because that man's wife deserved to say everything she needed to say to me, and that punk kid should have just kept his mouth shut and let her say whatever she needed to say,' Ritchie said. Ritchie, who was also a father, spent his last days getting visits from friends and family. 'I've ruined my life and other people's lives, and I'm so sorry for that night,' he told the parole board earlier this month. 'You can't take back what you did.' ------ By Sophia Tareen And Ed White Tareen reported from Chicago. Associated Press writer John O'Connor contributed from Springfield, Illinois.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man executed for the 2000 killing of a police officer in Indiana's second execution in 15 years
An Indiana man convicted in the fatal shooting of a police officer in 2000 was executed Tuesday by lethal injection in the state's second execution in 15 years. Benjamin Ritchie, 45, had been on Indiana's death row since 2002, when he was convicted of killing Beech Grove Police Officer Bill Toney during a chase on foot. Ritchie was executed at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, according to Indiana Department of Correction officials. IDOC said in a statement that the process started shortly after midnight and Ritchie was pronounced dead at 12:46 a.m. Ritchie's last meal was from the Olive Garden and he expressed love, support and peace for his friends and family, according to the statement. Under state law, he was allowed five witnesses at his execution, which included his attorney Steve Schutte, who told reporters he had a limited view of the process. 'I couldn't see his face. He was lying flat by that time,' Schutte said. 'He sat up, twitched, laid back down.' The process was carried out hours after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take the case, exhausting all of Ritchie's legal options to fight the death penalty. Dozens of people, both anti-death penalty advocates and supporters of Toney, stood outside the prison until early Tuesday. Indiana resumed executions in December after a yearslong hiatus due to a scarcity of lethal injection drugs nationwide. Prison officials provided photos of the execution chamber before Joseph Corcoran's execution, showing a space that looks like an operating room with a gurney, fluorescent lighting and an adjacent viewing room. They've since offered few other details. Among 27 states with death penalty laws, Indiana is one of two that bars media witnesses. The other, Wyoming, has conducted one execution in the last half-century. The Associated Press and other media organizations filed a federal lawsuit in Indiana seeking media access, but a federal judge denied a preliminary injunction last week that would have allowed journalists to witness Ritchie's execution and future ones. The judge found that barring the news media doesn't violate the First Amendment nor does it single out the news media for unequal treatment. The execution in Indiana is among 12 scheduled in eight states this year. Ritchie's execution and two others in Texas and Tennessee will be carried out this week. Ritchie was 20 when he and others stole a van in Beech Grove, near Indianapolis. He then fired at Toney during a foot chase, killing him. At the time Ritchie was on probation from a 1998 burglary conviction. Toney, 31, had worked at the Beech Grove Police Department for two years. The married father of two was the first officer of the small department to be killed by gunfire in the line of duty. Relatives spoke at a clemency hearing last week in support of the execution. 'It's time. We're all tired,' said Dee Dee Horen, who was Toney's wife. 'It is time for this chapter of my story, our story, to be closed. It's time for us to remember Bill, to remember Bill's life, and not his death.' Ritchie's attorneys have fought the death sentence, arguing his legal counsel at trial was ineffective because his lawyers failed to fully investigate and present evidence on his fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and childhood lead exposure. Current defense attorneys say Ritchie suffered 'severe brain damage' because his mother abused alcohol and drugs during pregnancy and he's struggled with decision-making. He was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2005. Disability rights advocates argued that Ritchie's brain damage should have excluded him from the death penalty. 'This is a foolish, senseless, agonizing waste of time and money,' said Schutte, who added that Ritchie was no longer 'the same person who committed that crime.' Attorney General Todd Rokita said he execution honored Toney's 'sacrifice to the community.' Republican Gov. Mike Braun rejected Ritchie's clemency bid last week without explanation. The Indiana Supreme Court denied a request to stop the execution. Ritchie's attorneys challenged that decision in federal court, which a judge rejected. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the lower court on Sunday. As the sun set Monday, the Rev. Richard Holy, a Catholic priest, recited the rosary with about 20 people in the prison parking lot. 'We don't have to keep taking one life to exact justice for taking another,' he said. Dozens also showed up to honor Toney's memory. 'I support the death penalty in certain cases and this is one of them,' said Mark Hamner, an Indianapolis-area officer. Attorneys say Ritchie changed during his more than two decades behind bars and shown remorse. In court as a young man, Ritchie smiled at Horen and laughed as the verdict was read. He told a parole board he deeply regretted his actions, especially how he acted with Toney's widow. 'I wish I could go back to the day in court, because that man's wife deserved to say everything she needed to say to me, and that punk kid should have just kept his mouth shut and let her say whatever she needed to say,' Ritchie said. Ritchie, who was also a father, spent his last days getting visits from friends and family. 'I've ruined my life and other people's lives, and I'm so sorry for that night,' he told the parole board earlier this month. 'You can't take back what you did.'
