Porter County Board of Commissioners

The Porter County E911 center hopes new software will speed up the dispatching process for fire departments.

Funding for the Memorial Opera House renovation is once again in place. The Porter County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to appropriate $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act money for a scaled-back version of the project.

The Porter County Commissioners are looking to move ahead with some facility upgrades. The county's redevelopment commission has agreed to lend $120,000 to renovate the first floor of the former sheriff's residence, which used to house the Porter County Museum.

Those holding events at Porter County-owned facilities will have some additional rules to follow. The county commissioners decided to review their rental policies, following uproar over an event that would've included a drag show at the Porter County Expo Center.

The Porter County Council is being warned of dangerous conditions at the Highway Department's Valparaiso garage. Andrew Waugh with Martin Riley Architects/Engineers says every building at the Valpo highway facility has structural issues, and one in particular has a central steel column that's rusted through.

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

A new initiative aims to improve the health and wellness of Porter County residents, starting with county employees. The PoCo Wellness Connection was officially launched during last week's county commissioners meeting.

A Porter County commissioner is confident he can stop the Malden Solar Farm from getting built, even as the county's review of the developer's application moves forward.

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.

Businesses that want to develop solar farms in Porter County could soon have a new set of regulations. The county commissioners voted on second reading Thursday to repeal the solar ordinance adopted in 2020. That will allow a plan commission subcommittee to revise the rules.