Greg Simms

Organizations helping Porter County residents recover from addiction are getting a share of the county's opioid settlement money. The county council finalized a $50,000 appropriation Tuesday.

A proposed renovation of the Memorial Opera House continued to be negotiated by the Porter County Council and Commissioners Tuesday.

Outgoing Porter County Council member Mike Jessen believes the county has accomplished at least as much during his eight years on the council as it had during the previous 20. "I don't say that do be braggadocious about it or say it was all Mike Jessen because it was far, far from that. It involved a lot of different people who were willing to work together, cooperate and collaborate," Jessen told the rest of the council Tuesday.

How big of a renovation the Memorial Opera House ends up getting remains up in the air. The majority of the Porter County Council supports a larger project that would rehabilitate the historic building and connect it to the former sheriff's residence. But the majority of the county commissioners want to look at lower-cost options, like renting out the sheriff's residence.

Funding has once again been pulled from the Memorial Opera House renovation and expansion.

The Porter County Council is considering its next steps, when it comes to addressing mental health issues in the county. The county commissioners recently hired an outside consultant to conduct a community assessment on suicide awareness and prevention.