Latest news with #PorterCountySheriff'sOffice
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Deadly storm triggers alert for millions and leaves thousands without power across the Midwest
A severe winter storm has killed at least six and left almost half a million energy customers without power Monday morning, as strong winds and heavy rain caused havoc from the mid-Atlantic to the South. "Large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes can all be expected" over the Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi valleys, through the mid-Atlantic, the Southeast and the Gulf Coast, the National Weather Service said in an early Monday forecast. More than 70 million were under various weather alerts Sunday night. The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office said that three people from the same family were killed when a tree hit a vehicle Sunday, with three others taken to local hospitals. One is in critical condition and the other two are stable, the Monday statement said. The Porter County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a man died Sunday in Valparaiso, Indiana, when his semitruck and trailer were blown over in winds of up to 80 mph. The victim was identified as 34-year-old Jagbir Singh, and there were widespread reports of trees being knocked down or uprooted in strong gusts. A man was killed in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, when a tree fell onto a camper just before 2 a.m. Sunday, NBC affiliate KJRH of Tulsa reported, citing local officials. A preliminary report from the weather service office in northern Indiana said that one person was killed when an Amish buggy was toppled in high winds in Millersburg, Indiana. NBC News contacted law enforcement officials but did not receive confirmation of this report until early Monday. The city of Elkhart, Indiana, said that while there were no fatalities overnight, there was extensive damage, including a collapsed building. Police warned people not to leave their homes unless it was "absolutely necessary." The weather service urged people under a tornado watch to know where their nearest shelter is and to immediately go there. One resident in Vancleave, Mississippi, posted footage online Sunday showing an enormous funnel cloud. Another potential tornado was filmed in Doniphan, Missouri, against a backdrop of dark, foreboding clouds. Freezing rain and high winds brought down power lines across the Great Lakes region, from Michigan to Wisconsin, while forecasters warned that the severe weather is headed south and could reach Tennessee. On Monday morning, almost 300,000 energy customers in Michigan were in the dark, and more than 50,000 connections were down in Wisconsin and Indiana. The Associated Press reported that churches, schools and firehouses became makeshift shelters for some. The weather service office in Gaylord, Michigan, posted pictures showing almost an inch of ice had accumulated there. Jesika Fox told the AP that she and her husband drove for more than 40 minutes from Alpena, Michigan, to find fuel for a generator that had lost power Saturday night. "We just passed a veterinary clinic. The entire front corner of the building was taken out by a tree," Fox, 36, said. These storms should move into the Atlantic by late Monday into Tuesday, although there may be flurries for the interior Northeast and the chance of thunderstorms will persist for Florida. There were reports and images of flooding in Florida on Sunday, affecting the last day of the Ultra Music Festival in Miami. For the West Coast, a strong Pacific coastal weather system is due to bring heavy rain and winds of up to 70 mph to Northern California and southern Oregon in the next two days, the weather service said. Heavy snow of between 2 and 4 feet is expected in the mountain regions, while the Great Basin and the northern and central Rockies could receive upwards of 12 inches. This weather system will move east Tuesday into the Plains and the Mississippi Valley, continuing the volatile conditions. This article was originally published on
NBC News
31-03-2025
- Climate
- NBC News
Deadly storm triggers alert for millions and leaves thousands without power across the Midwest
A severe winter storm has killed at least three and left almost half a million energy customers without power on Monday morning, as strong winds and heavy rain caused havoc from the Mid-Atlantic to the South. "Large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes can all be expected" over the Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi Valleys, through the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Gulf Coast, the National Weather Service said in an early Monday forecast. More than 70 million were under various weather alerts Sunday night. The Porter County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a man died on Sunday in Valparaiso, Indiana, when his semi-truck and trailer were blown over in winds of up to 80 mph. The victim was identified as 34-year-old Jagbir Singh, and there were widespread reports of trees being knocked down or uprooted in strong gusts. A man was killed in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, when a tree fell into a camper just before 2 a.m. on Sunday, NBC affiliate KJRH of Tulsa reported, citing local officials. A preliminary report from the NWS office in northern Indiana said that one person was killed when an Amish buggy was toppled over in high winds in Millersburg, Indiana. NBC News contacted law enforcement officials but did not receive confirmation of this report until early Monday. The city of Elkhart, Indiana, said that while there were no fatalities overnight, there was extensive damage, including a collapsed building. Police warned people not to leave their homes unless it was "absolutely necessary." The NWS urged people under a tornado watch to know where their nearest shelter is and to immediately go there. One resident in Vancleave, Mississippi, posted footage online on Sunday showing an enormous funnel cloud. Another potential tornado was filmed in Doniphan, Missouri, against a backdrop of dark, foreboding clouds. Freezing rain and high winds brought down power lines across the Great Lakes region, from Michigan to Wisconsin, while forecasters warned that the severe weather is headed south and could reach Tennessee. On Monday morning, almost 300,000 energy customers in Michigan were in the dark, and more than 50,000 connections were down in Wisconsin and Indiana. The Associated Press reported that churches, schools, and firehouses became makeshift shelters for some. The NWS office in Gaylord, Michigan, posted pictures showing almost an inch of ice had accumulated there. Jesika Fox told the AP that she and her husband drove for more than 40 minutes from Alpena, Michigan, to find fuel for a generator that had lost power Saturday night. "We just passed a veterinary clinic. The entire front corner of the building was taken out by a tree," said Fox, 36. These storms should move into the Atlantic by late Monday into Tuesday, although there may be flurries for the interior Northeast and the chance of thunderstorms will persist for Florida. There were reports and images of flooding in Florida on Sunday, affecting the last day of the Ultra Music Festival in Miami. For the West Coast, a strong Pacific coastal weather system is due to bring heavy rain and winds of up to 70 mph to northern California and southern Oregon in the next two days, the NWS said. Heavy snow of between 2 and 4 feet is expected in mountain regions, while the Great Basin and the northern and central Rockies could receive upwards of 12 inches.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
400,000 without power as Midwest battered by severe weather
More than 400,000 customers across the Midwest were without power in the early hours of Monday after severe weather battered the region. As of 5:30 a.m. ET, more than 292,000 customers were without power in Michigan, according to -- a website that tracks power outages throughout the country. Another 56,000 were disconnected in Wisconsin, 53,000 in Indiana, 15,000 in Kentucky and 13,000 in Ohio, the website said. ABC News Chicago affiliate WLS reported that one person was killed in Valparaiso, Indiana, when "severe crosswinds" blew a tractor and a trailer onto their sides, according to a statement by Sgt. Benjamin McFalls of the Porter County Sheriff's Office. Severe weather was forecast for much of the Midwest and South as the storm traveled eastward through the weekend. More than 75 million Americans were in the threat zone of the storm as of late Sunday. The system was expected to bring a range of hazardous weather impacts, including severe thunderstorms and a wintry blast on the northern side. MORE: Millions braced for dangerous severe weather -- including possible tornadoes Sunday's forecast said the severe weather was due to move to the East Coast and I-95 corridor from Upstate New York all the way south to Tallahassee and New Orleans on Monday. Damaging winds will be the biggest threat for northern cities but tornadoes cannot be ruled out across southern areas. ABC News Darren Reynolds and Jessica Gorman contributed to this report. 400,000 without power as Midwest battered by severe weather originally appeared on
Chicago Tribune
16-03-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
Porter County first with program to aid autism interactions with police
Porter County will be the first in Indiana to offer countywide the Blue Envelope Program, which is designed to foster better communication during a traffic stop between those on the autism spectrum and law enforcement. In December, the Porter County Commissioners gave their blessing to the Porter County Sheriff's Office to participate in the program that was started in Portage Township. State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage, in this current legislative session introduced House Bill 1179 to institute the Blue Envelope Program statewide. The bill failed to make it out of committee. However, Moseley was able to convince the state's Bureau of Motor Vehicles to start a pilot program in Porter County, where the blue envelope materials will be available to the public at the Valparaiso and Portage BMV branches, said Joyce Russell, the Portage Township community relations and outreach director who also heads the Portage Township Autism Action Coalition. Russell said after a meeting with Porter County Sheriff Jeff Balon and police chiefs on Wednesday, all of the law enforcement agencies in the county agreed to participate and become distribution points for the Blue Envelope Program. 'It's a big deal. We are the first in Indiana to do this. Porter County can now be a model for the rest of Indiana,' Russell said. 'It's also a good thing that Porter County is becoming more sensory friendly and aware of autism.' Russell said she hopes that the blue envelopes can be available by around April 1. For now, the blue envelopes are available at the Portage Township offices, Portage Police and the Porter County Sheriff's Office. The way that the Blue Envelope Program works is the person on the autism spectrum puts their driver's license, registration and contact information inside the envelope to be placed inside the vehicle. A message can also be included to advise the officer about special conditions the driver might have. A blue envelope sticker is placed on the back window to alert a law enforcement officer that they are dealing with a driver who is on the autism spectrum. The envelope also has instructions to aid the driver with autism if they are stopped, such as to make sure they keep their hands on the steering wheel and to roll their window down. A person on the autism spectrum can start 'stimming' — engaging in repetitive body movements like rocking back and forth — because they are stressed out by the traffic stop, Russell said. That can lead to a law enforcement officer misunderstanding the situation. Russell said she believes the program, which has been used in other states, is 'simple and effective.' 'It can save lives from an incident gone bad,' Russell said. Since January, Russell said that 20 blue envelope packets have been handed out by Portage Township. The material has been available at the Porter County Sheriff's Department and Portage Police Departments. Eight states have the Blue Envelope Program in place. Russell said she hopes that the program can spread to neighboring Lake and LaPorte counties and eventually statewide. 'We will have the state see this is a program that's important and will make a difference,' Russell said.
Chicago Tribune
03-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Porter County switching to new E911 system; benefits expected for callers, firefighters
Porter County residents calling 911 will have a more fluid experience after a system switch scheduled for Tuesday morning and, as an added benefit, the change will improve the quality of life for firefighters. Porter County E911 is migrating from Tiberon to Motorola Premium One, a task four and a half years in the making. 'Tiburon, it's been very good for us, but it's beyond end of life,' said Porter County E911 Director Debby Gunn. The county went live with Tiburon in 2002 or 2003 and all the data stored with them had to be mapped and transferred. 'You want that data to be converted or transferred as error-free as possible,' she explained. She gave a shout-out to Tanya Gear from the records department of the Porter County Sheriff's Office and Nadine Johnson from the city of Portage for their crucial role in that work. 'If it weren't for them we could be looking at a reduction of data or errors in data,' Gunn said. Beyond data preservation, Gunn said at least 25 different interfaces have been built out since the 10-year, $2.1 million contract with Motorola was signed in the fall of 2020. She likens the computer-aided dispatch system, or CAD, to the center of a wheel with each interface coming off like a spoke. Those separate interfaces include fire stations, portable radios, body cameras for police, Porter County Juvenile Detention Center data, the prosecutor's office, adult probation and even animal control. 'It literally touches every single aspect of public safety throughout Porter County,' Gunn said. Her department has been working with Motorola architects and third-party vendors to put it all in place. 'People have to have credentials and certification so we can allow them into the system,' she said. 'It's been a massive undertaking.' Porter County's first-class telecommunicators have also been training extensively for the switch since 2021. 'I am incredibly proud of the dispatchers here,' she said of their efforts to share notes and create cheat sheets as they master the new system. 'It has really been vital that we stay on top of these skills because when somebody calls you can't be fumbling.' People calling 911 for help may not notice the improvements because there will be an elimination of stressful back and forth for all parties. Before the switch to Motorola and the concurrent addition of fire station alerting software, telecommunicators would have to put callers on hold to dispatch emergency responders. Now a digital voice run by artificial intelligence will go over the air only to those stations needed while the dispatcher remains in constant contact with the caller. 'That can be at times upward of a minute or more,' Gunn explained of the time callers might wait on hold while emergency services were dispatched. 'That does nothing for customer service,' she added. 'Can you imagine being put on hold while your house is burning?' Assistant Valparaiso Fire Chief Jon Daly has been working to get the system in Porter County since 2017. He said it offers multiple benefits, from a clear, digital voice that sounds the same every time, to the automated population of engine and ambulance response while providing those crews with automatic information about the patient. If the geographically-preferred ambulance from the closest station is already out on a call it will call for one from another station automatically. All while the telecommunicator can maintain strong customer service with the caller. Built into the new approach are logistics that will improve the quality of life for firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics. As an example, Daly explained that Valparaiso's two fire stations receive 6,000 calls a year. Moving forward those firefighters, and those in Portage's three stations, won't be inundated by tones that don't apply to their station. 'It's about when that fire department shows up at your house with just a little bit more sleep, hopefully, you'll get a little bit better care,' Daly said. Industry-wide the fire station alerting system is believed to be equal to half a dispatcher. 'If it doesn't call off sick,' Daly said. And while Valparaiso and Portage already had their own channels there are still times when calls come in simultaneously, leaving a dispatcher to choose between the calls. Moving forward they can take one call and still rely on the internet-based CAD system to deploy for the second call. With police and EMS dispatchers in high demand and short supply, every efficiency matters. Hamilton, Marion and Lake counties already use fire station alerting. 'It's not a luxury,' Daly added. All of the county's 18 fire departments and 10 police departments were also given a host of other options to purchase for their staff. The Valparaiso Fire Department, for example, bought new speaker and lighting systems. Vendor representatives did a walkthrough of Valparaiso's fire stations and created a light plan with red pathway lights to make it safe for those called out to see where they're going once they're woken in the wee hours without jarring their bodies. 'These white lights like in an office go off,' Daly said of the old system. 'It's super-bright. It's like, 'Ugh.' A little bit softer is a little bit better for firefighters to live longer.' Throughout the first day with the new system, Motorola staff is expected to be on-site at the E911 dispatch hub and sheriff's office to help with behind-the-scenes tweaking.
