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The Call to Explore:
It is Thursday, April 9th, 2026 and this is your Thursday edition of NWI Explored. Welcome back, everyone. How has everyone been enjoying the most consistent slate of NWI Weather we’ve had for quite some time? When the sun is shining and the breeze is slightly above an easy shove, it feels like maybe we’re fully into the Springtime. Looking at the forecast, we’ve still got some colder days ahead but I think we’re finally on the other side of the heavily inclement stuff. That means even more reasons to get out there and explore this wonderful place we call home!
🧭 On Today’s issue of NWI Explored🧭
Everything Happening in NWI in April
A Recap of Local and State News
Today’s Headlines
Weather Forecast for NWI
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Your Midweek Forecast for 4/9/26
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🏘The Lowdown 🏘
Every issue of NWI Explored comes with The Lowdown: a roundup of the most important news and happenings around the Region and Indiana writ large.
EARLY VOTING IS OPEN TO ALL INDIANA RESIDENTS AS OF TUESDAY, APRIL 7TH.
BELOW, YOU CAN FIND A LIST OF ALL THE EARLY VOTING SITES.
For the near future, I will be leaving this information about early voting sites in the newsletter each edition so that all Explorers know where they are able to vote early for Indiana’s primary coming up.
Lake County Early Voting Sites
All sites, other than Crown Point, will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays through May 1; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 25 and May 2; and 9 a.m. to noon May 4.
Lake County Government Center Admin Building, 2293 N. Main St, Crown Point
Open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays through May 1; 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 25 and May 2; and 8:30 a.m. to noon May 4.
Carrie Gosch Early Learning Center, 4001 Indianapolis Blvd, East Chicago
Gary Public Library, 220 W. 5th Avenue
Hammond County Courthouse, 232 Russell St.
Wicker Park Breezeway, 8554 Indianapolis Blvd, Highland
Police Communications Center, 705 E. 4th St., Hobart
Lowell Town Hall, 501 E. Main St
Munster Town Hall, 1005 Ridge Road
Schererville Town Hall, 10 E. Joliet St.
St. John Township Assessor, 9157 Wicker Ave.
Winfield Government Complex, 10645 Randolph St.
Porter County Early Voting Sites
All Porter County sites will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays through May 1; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on April 25 and May 2; and 8:30 a.m. to noon May 4.
Chesterton Town Hall, 790 Broadway
Hebron Community Center, 611 N. Main St.
Portage
NIRPC Building, 6100 Southport Rd.
North County Complex, 3560 Willowcreek Rd.
Valpo
Porter County Admin Building, 155 Indiana Ave.
Union Township Fire Station #2, 267 N. 600 W
Valparaiso Fire Training Center, 355 Evans Ave
LaPorte County Early Voting Sites
LaPorte County Complex, 809 State St, Meeting Room 2
April 7th -10th
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8am - 4pm
Wednesday: 10am - 6pm
Michigan City - 8th and Wabash, 302 W. 8th St.
April 7th to May 4th
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8am -4pm
Wednesday: 10am - 6pm
LaPorte County Fairgrounds, 2581 W. State Rd 2
April 13th - May 4th
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8am - 4pm
Wednesday: 10am - 6pm
Rolling Prairie - Wills Township Community Center, 6981 E. 350 N
April 21st - May 4th
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8am - 4pm
Wednesday: 10am - 6pm
Wanatah Town Hall
April 21 - May 4th
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8am - 4pm
Wednesday: 10am - 6pm
Starke County Early Voting Sites
Starke County Courthouse, 2nd Floor
April 7th -30th
Weekdays from 8am to 4pm
Saturday, April 25th from 8am to 3pm
Saturday, May 2nd from 8am to 3pm
Monday, May 4th from 8am to noon
North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Department
April 23rd and 24th from 11am to 5pm
April 25th from 9am to 2pm
Koontz Lake Sewer District Building
April 30th and May 1st from 11am to 5pm
May 2nd from 9am to 2pm
Jasper County Early Voting Sites
Jasper County Courthouse
April 7th to May 1st - 8am to 4pm
April 25th and May 2nd (Saturdays)
8am to 4pm
American Reformed Church
April 7th to April 30th
9am to 6pm
April 25th and May 2nd (Saturdays)
9am to 4pm
Valparaiso Plan Commission unanimously approved a preliminary plat for a new subdivision in town - northwest corner of Ind. 130 and County Rd. 250 W.
The new subdivision is being called “West Vale” and will be a development of around 150 new homes for the city’s far west side. There will also be one commercial outlot available as a part of the development. Luke Land LLC has requested the plat of land, subdivision of Luke Brands - owners of the Luke gas stations and LiqGo! chain of liquor stores.
Preliminary plans for the under-development West Vale subdivision on the far west side of Valpo
Crown Point Common Council gave the okay on Monday to rezone 200 acres for a medium-density, single-family housing development on the city’s south side - bringing 473 lots to the area.
The Preserve Point subdivision, as it is being called, will have three separate sections. One will be exclusively for residents 55 and older in an 84-unit area called Cottage Homes. Another will be a subdivision dubbed Meadow Homes will contain 260 homes, with the remaining 129 homes being a part of the planned estate homes portion of the subdivision.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun (R) is temporarily suspending the 7% sales tax on gasoline across the state in an effort to provide relief to Indiana residents during the economic instability currently felt in the wake of the US/Israel war on Iran.
Braun signed the executive order yesterday, declaring the situation of sharply rising gas prices to be a state emergency and deeming a 30-day pause necessary to alleviate some of the stress on drivers. The hope is that this pause of gasoline sales tax will reduce costs for Indiana residents by about 17 cents a gallon on average, but likely even more in May when tax rate undergoes adjustment to account for the rising prices experienced in March and May. Braun has also said that he will look at this action in another 30 days to decide if an extension is necessary to keep affordability at the forefront of his list of priorities.
On a similar note, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita (R) announced, in conjunction with Gov. Braun’s stay on gasoline sales taxes, that any local gas station thought to be disregarding this mandatory reduction in price should be reported to the State DA’s office.
Rokita said yesterday that his office will be actively monitoring the situation to make sure that local business owners across the state are complying and ensuring the removal of this tax translates to lower incurred cost of drivers. If you suspect a gas station local to you is still charging tax during the suspension, contact the DA’s office via in.gov/attorneygeneral.
Sheetz, the Pennsylvania-staple chain of convenience stores known for their fresh, high-quality food, has announced that they will be expanding into Indiana.
This announcement comes after Wawa, another Pennsylvania chain of high-quality C-stores, opened its first Indiana locations last year around the Indianapolis area. Sheetz has said that they plan to invest $1 billion in opening around 100 stores across Indiana in the next decade, creating thousands of jobs across the state in the process. This expansion also comes with a food preparation and distribution center being currently built in Findlay, Ohio, which will help to support the Midwest expansion of the brand. Maybe in the next 7 or 8 years, we’ll all finally understand why Philadelphia natives are so gung-ho about the hoagies they get from these specific chains.
NIPSCO has sought state approval for a special contract to supply energy to one of the largest data center projects across the entire country - Amazon Web Services data center projects across Northwest Indiana.
Subsidiary GenCo is planning to add 3 gigawatts of additional electricity generation capacity to serve the project that AWS is investing $15 billion into, upgrades that would double their current capacity of 2.3 gigawatts and cost around $5.7 billion. Privately, NIPSCO and Amazon reached a deal to provide a customer fund that would go to help people in Northern Indiana impacted by rising Cost of Living expenses, a shared system charges fee that would be put toward existing customers bills, and (as part of this proposal) an ultimate theory that this partnership would pass along over $1 billion in savings for customers in Northern Indiana over the course of the next 15 years. Sounds a little too good to be true, doesn’t it? Well, on that note…
Hobart City staff and Amazon representatives met on Tuesday to go over concerns around environmental safety and pollution from the proposed multi-billion dollar data center being proposed at 61st and Colorado.
Hobart city staff has told Amazon that they will need preliminary approval before construction can begin on the data center, including copies of all environmental permits and building plans to review beforehand. Members of the Plan Commission then went on to question Amazon reps about the noise pollution aspect of the massive data center, damage to local foliage and obstructions abound that would limit visual and auditory clarity in the nearby roadways and walking areas. Amazon said that they will fence in the data center, planting local foliage around the fence to make it blend in with the surroundings better. Even still, Hobart residents are none to impressed by what they see as a gross overstep of City planning - taking to outside of City Hall to protest and chant before the meeting took place. Later on, the group packed into the hall for the Plan Commission meeting, maintaining a calm demeanor and confronting the town officials and Amazon reps on what they believe to be an unwanted development being shoved down their throats.
After being notified that their ballots were tallied incorrectly, five Winfield voters are invited to recast their ballots for the Republican primary election.
The ballots given to these voters instructed them to select one candidate for GOP nomination for Winfield City Council, even though two at-large council seats are up for election - meaning they should be selecting two candidates. Great catch by the Lake County Election Board, especially considering this took place on the very first day of early voting.
Plans have been detailed for the “Reimagine Ridge Road” development project, with Munster citizens attending open houses to voice their opinions.
Some 50 different residents attended one of the two open houses held recently that detailed new road layouts, lighting and different installations along the mile or so stretch from the Illinois-Indiana border and Columbia Avenue. This reimagining of the area is to revitalize the stretch, increase pedestrian and driver safety and introduce new avenues for walkers and bikers. $17.1 million in funding has already been given to the City of Munster by the RAISE grant program (from the U.S. Department of Transportation), with the core of the plans centered around reducing the lanes of traffic from five to four, building in access to the Monon corridor of the South Shore Line and reducing driver crashes along the road. According to reimagineridgeroad.com, the timeline in 2027 includes all of this and more - including utility relocation and coordination efforts with local businesses.
Locked out NIPSCO workers rallied at the utility company’s headquarters on Tuesday, waving signs and chanting that a fair contract needs to be negotiated as soon as possible.
USW Locals 12775 and 13796 have continued their calls for NIPSCO to end the lockout and return to the negotiations for the sake of affected workers. Their demands remain the same: concerns about mandated overtime, diminished quality of life from extra work hours, and the company’s turn toward using more and more contractors for work that befell linemen in years past. There haven’t been huge moves on either side at the moment, but we will be keeping tabs on this and the USW Local 7-1 BP strike as they continue to progress.
Free tax sessions, focused on property taxes and how they are calculated, are available to NWI residents at the following locations, on the following dates
4:30-5:30 p.m., April 13, Hebron Library
4:30-5:30 p.m., April 14, Kouts Library
4:30-5:30 p.m., April 16, South Haven Library
5:30-6:30 p.m., April 20, Portage Library
6-7 p.m., April 21, Chesterton Library
6-7 p.m., April 28, Valparaiso Library
What’s Going On in NWI?
Every issue of NWI Explored, we give you the best events and spots to check out during the current month.
Recurrent Events:
Here we will try to aggregate all of the weekly specials available to Explorers around the Region. If you own a local business and want people to be aware of your weekly specials or events, let us know by sending an email to [email protected]!
Tuesday is Trivia day at White Rhino in Dyer. Find out more about this weekly event at the link here. Wednesday at White Rhino is Bingo night, starting at 6:30pm.
18th Street Brewery has its weekly Music Trivia and Karaoke night every Wednesday. Doors open at 4pm, with trivia starting at 6pm. Find out more here. On Thursday nights, they also host a weekly Line Dancing night with host Mizz Coco. Find out more here.
Shady Creek Winery hosts a weekly live music event each and every Sunday. Find a schedule of upcoming artists at the link here.
Anderson’s Winery in Valpo hosts weekly live music each and every weekend. Find a schedule of upcoming performances at the link right here.
Find out info about the classes and everything the Chesterton Art Center has going on here. The Center constantly has events for beginners, young artists, and apprentices alike, so anyone looking to build their skills and learn new ones should keep tabs on what the Chesterton Art Center has going on.
Off Square Brewing in Crown Point hosts a weekly Bingo Night on Thursdays, running from 7-9 pm each and every week. One lucky number can make you the big winner of the night! Find further info here. They also host a weekly Trivia Night on Wednesdays from 7pm.
Up Your Alley in Schererville has regular specials all week, perfect for families and groups of friends. Monday is a bowling special, Tuesday is Laser Tag, Wednesday is Dark Rides, and Thursday is the Arcade. Find more info and the specific deals available each week right here.
Every Monday, from 7-9 pm, Journeyman Distillery in Valpo hosts a Trivia Night. Three rounds of trivia keep the night alive, with teams of up to six people fight to win the grand prize every week. Find more info right here.
Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Lake has a weekly wine special running through dinner service. Happy hour specials and heavily discounted bottles every single Wednesday!
Every second Saturday each month, Beale Pottery in Westville hosts a “Make Cool Stuff Club”. This is a group that meets to, well, make cool stuff in the form of pottery! Find more info about the spot and their events right here.
On the last Tuesday of every month, Downtown Highland hosts a restaurant crawl. This community event always features a bunch of the local spots offering specials and deals, so its a great way to spend an evening hopping from meal to meal. Find more info right here.
Tiny’s Coffee Bar in Miller Beach has recurrent events every single week. Check out their page to find the full slate of events.
Sip Coffee House in Highland has a Wednesday Game Night every single week from 6-9pm. In partnership with the Northwest Indiana Board Game Association.
Valparaiso Pathways Committee holds Free community rides once a month during the warmer months. Click here to look at their schedule of group rides across the city.
Conway Observatory in Lowell hosts open houses once a month for all ages to come in and take a look into the deep stretches of space. Totally free and with different focuses at each open house, you can learn about a host of cool space topics across the year. Find their schedule at the link right here.
Getting into photography or a seasoned vet looking to get out there and shoot more? Lake County Parks Photo Club has regular meetings every 2nd Wednesday at Turkey Creek Golf Course, with regular field trips out in the NWI expanse. Find more info and the full schedule at the link right here.
Gibson Woods Nature Preserve in Hammond holds a weekly Hike through nature every Wednesday. Find their full schedule right here. Pre-registration is required.
Miller Beach Arts and Creative District holds a free community yoga session every Sunday, beginning at 10am at the District building. Find info and other event listings here.
For all the fellow writers out there, Tiny’s Coffee Bar in Miller Beach holds a weekly writing group each and every Saturday, starting at 10:15am. Sometimes all it takes to spark inspiration is being around fellow creatives. Find more info about the group right here
In partnership with the NWI Ultimate League, we want to issue a special announcement about their spring leagues!
NWI Ultimate, with partnership of the Portage Parks Department, is the preeminent local ultimate frisbee league for NWI. Featuring COED divisions for all ages, these leagues are open to new players and seasoned experts. Find all the information at the link right here or in the infographic below.
Local Theatre
A Rundown of all the local theatre companies and their upcoming productions.
Chicago Street Theatre, Valparaiso - info here
Jellofish; running from March 27th to April 12th
Memorial Opera House, Valparaiso - info here
La Porte Little Theatre, LaPorte - Info Here
Moon Over Buffalo; running from May 1st to 10th
4th Street Theater, Chesterton - Info Here
Hamlet; running from June 5th to 21st
Beatniks on Conkey, Hammond - Info Here
The Nerd; running April 10th to 19th
Footlight Players, Inc, Michigan City - Info Here
The Legend of Georgia McBride; running from April 9th to 19th
Indiana Ballet Theatre Company - Info Here
Marian Theatre Guild, Whiting - Info Here
Show runs from April 18th to 26th
Towle Theater, Hammond - Info Here
Doublewide Texas; running from May 1st to 17th
Valpo University Theatre- Info Here
Ticket information and the full schedule can be found right here.
What to Expect in April
The Crossroads YMCA will be holding their 45th Annual Hub Run on April 11th, starting at 9am. The race will start at Bulldog Park in Crown Point and is either a 5k or a 2k run. All the details, including where to register, are at the link right here.
18th St. Brewery in Gary will be holding a Yoga and Beer Event this weekend on April 11th. Instructor Mary Schons will be guiding a fun and relaxing session while classic brews are on tap for all to enjoy. Find more info right here
Calling all families: The Chesterton Art Center will be holding a free Family Art Day on April 11th. Families are invited to the Center from 10am to 2pm to partake in a variety of crafts and art projects. This Event is FREE and open to ALL AGES. Find more information at the link right here.
At the Old Lake County Jail, lock in for a once in a blue moon type experience: the Inmate Egg Hunt. This adults only Easter egg hunt ensures even the grown ups get to have some fun, while still injecting some new life into the time honored tradition. The hunt begins on April 11th at 7pm and all the info can be found right here.
Running Vines Winery in Chesterton has a slate of events, specials and programming for the whole month of April - including singo events, trivia nights, live music and brunch specials. Find their full schedule below.
From Lake County Parks and Buckley Homestead, April 11th will be a special event for all ages. Find Flopsy is a springtime tradition where participants will scour the farm, solve puzzles and keep an eye out for the Buckley kids’ sneaky rabbit Flopsy. It will be a heck of a time for the whole family, so learn more at the link right here.
Tiny’s Coffee Bar in Gary is holding their monthly Open Mic - Verses and Vibes on April 11th. Free to attend and settle into. Grab a cocktail, matcha or coffee and soak in the atmosphere.
In support of his solo exhibition at the Gardner Center in Gary, Chicago artist Roman Villareal will be present for an artist talk on April 12th, 2pm at the Gardner Center for the Arts in Gary. His exhibition, Roman Villareal - The Gift of Shaping, Works in Painting and Sculpture is running through April 24th.
Valpo Parks Department will be hosting a Spring Kids Closet Sale on April 18th at Butterfield Family Pavilion (Old Fairgrounds). 20 booths will be open full of gently used kids’ clothing, toys, furniture and more. Vendor spots are open for all and admission to the sale is only $3.
Seasons Lakehouse Restaurant in Crown Point is hosting a Back to the 80s Brunch on April 12th, starting at 10am. Bottomless buffet, specialty cocktails and a DJ spinning only the best throwback jams: this morning excursion is sure to take you back to the good ol’ days.
Up Your Alley in Schererville is hosting a Paint & Sip on April 13th, from 6pm to 8pm. Open to children 6yrs+ and a parent painting partner, the night is themed around Painting Partners with the painting being a “Butterfly Kisses” painting. Find info right here.
Byway Brewing in Hammond is hosting a cannabis themed trivia night on April 14th, starting at 6pm. 21+ event, obviously.
Fuzzyline Brewing in Highland will have a Comedy Hour night on April 14th, featuring comedians Tyler Galban, Jezzi Realz, and Ari Sanchez. Doors open at 6, show starts at 7pm. The next day, April 15th, they will also have a Paint + Drink event where participants can paint a Blushing Bunny painting.
White Rhino in Dyer is hosting a Wine Tasting event on April 15th, starting at 6:30pm. Sample up to 10 different wines, paired with gourmet snacks and acoustic tunes courtesy of Marco Villareal. Find more info right here.
Stoney Run County Park, courtesy of Lake County Parks, is holding a S’mores Stroll on April 17th, starting at 7pm. Take a stroll around the park and then enjoy a cozy campfire evening underneath the stars, roasting marshmallows and taking in the night air.
2026’s Run the State 5K/Hike will be taking place on April 18th, starting at 7:15am. In partnership with Anthem and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, this race is put on by Invest In Your Health Indiana. Register at the link above or right here.
On April 23rd, 7pm, Go down to The Hangar Grill Pub in La Crosse for a bout of Chicago Trivia! Paired with the night of trivia are some Windy City classics - Italian beefs, Chicago dogs, Maxwell Street Polish, and (of course) some Chicago Handshakes to wash it all down.
Coming to the Hammond Civic Center on April 25th, an unforgettable night of action will ensue when Armored Medieval Martial Arts comes crashing through town. Top fighters from all over the world will be duking it out in full armor, bashing each other with swords, maces and shields across 10 epic bouts. Find tickets and full details right here.
Live Music For the Month of April
Hobart Art Theater
Debutants @ The Memorial Opera House (April 10th)
The Petty Kings (Tom Petty Tribute) @ Theatre at the Center (April 10th)
Disco Circus @ Hard Rock Cafe (April 10th)
Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne Tribute) @ Hard Rock Cafe (April 11th)
Siri and Moonshiners @ Joy Bomb Social Center (April 11th)
LYNSKYNYRD - Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd @ Avenue 912 (April 11th)
Dixon’s Violin @ Sixty Three Social (April 16th)
Vinegar Tom at Valparaiso University (April 16th to 19th)
The 77 Experience at Hard Rock Cafe (April 17th)
The Isley Brothers @ Horseshoe Casino Hammond (April 17th)
The Elephant March @ Joy Bomb Social Center (April 17th)
Echoes of Pompeii @ Memorial Opera House (April 18th)
More Events to Come. We will have the slate of April events expand out to cover the full month over the course of the next couple editions. Trying to not overload these emails for the sake of the readers!
More Events to Come…
That’ll do it for this Monday Edition of NWI Explored.
Happy Exploring,
Eric & Luke, The NWI Explored Team
“My hometown... was always there, at all times, unchanging. What I think... is not that we go back to our hometowns, but that someday our hometowns come back into each of our hearts.”
