Home Care In La Porte, IN

La Porte residents might notice a different taste or smell in their water in the coming weeks due to a routine treatment that city officials assure residents is safe and doesn’t pose a health risk.

From Dec. 27–Jan. 2, the city will conduct a maintenance water treatment process with the purpose of ensuring long-term water quality.

The city is alerting residents through its social media platforms to expect a different taste and odor in their water, but that the process is routine.

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What is it?

Chlorine conversion, or “chlorine burn,” is a practice in which the water system temporarily switches from the normal process using chloramine — a combination of chlorine and ammonia — to using only chlorine purify drinking water, according to Robert Banks, utilities superintendent for the city.

This conversion is common practice by public water systems to decrease the number of bacteria to maintain a satisfactory disinfectant residual in the water distribution system, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality website.

The city of La Porte plans to flush certain areas of the water system to increase the effectiveness of the process and maintain water quality, according to the city’s website.

How does it affect the water?

The process is used as a preventive maintenance routine to get rid of bacteria in the water that may be harmless when consumed by humans but can cause water to have an unfamiliar taste and odor, and create issues with maintaining disinfectant residual.

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The city assuring resident that although the water may have a different odor and taste, the water during this process is safe and the process itself poses no public health risks.

Why is it necessary?

According to the TCEQ website, all public water systems in Texas are required to disinfect drinking water systems before it can be consumed by residents as a matter of public safety.

The chlorine conversion process is used by many public water systems using chloramine and is conducted three to four times throughout the year.

The process lasts between seven and 10 days.

The city of La Porte asks residents experiencing problems with water quality to contact the city’s public works department at 281-471-9650 or via email at [email protected].

A new major housing development is coming to the city of La Porte featuring over one hundred single family homes across 34 acres.

The $12-million project was announced this week, aiming to alleviate part of the city’s housing problem.

The executive director of the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership Bert Cook tells WSBT 22 this development is taking a significant bite out of the housing needs here.

The city of La Porte has struggled in recent years with providing adequate housing for the community, and according to a press release from the city, mayor Tom Dermody says it’s no secret.

Dermody also mentions there have been several decades without much housing development.

Working together with developers Park Street Community LLC, a total of 118 townhomes and 19 single family homes will be built across 34 acres.

Those homes are expected to be at a $300,000 price point, something cook says studies show the city needs.

“It's our hope, it's the developer's hope that, you know, as the economy improves interest rates hopefully come down, cost of good labor come down a little bit, that they'll be able to, uh, to ultimately come in right around that $300,000 price point, which I think would be a, you know, a terrific place to be,” said Bert Cook, Executive Director LEAP.

Cook tells WSBT 22 since there are limited $300,000 homes in the city, many live in smaller, less expensive homes. He hopes those who can afford a newer house will move into these new properties, freeing up cheaper options for others.

“As we bring new product to the market, you know, let's say in the $300,000 range, um, those people will buy that home and then free up a home that might be better suited for someone who's looking in a lower price point. And that's, you know, that's a big portion of our problem,” said Cook.

Overall, Cook says this project is a win for La Porte, as it will help bring down a large portion of housing needs.

“Honestly, anytime we have any announcements in the residential market, I think it's met with really just excitement and, uh, and, and really good positive feedback from the community. I think many people here in LaPorte recognize the issues that we have,” said Cook.

According to the city, the project is set to start on or before September 1, 2024.

Press Release, Health Foundation of La Porte:

Following a comprehensive national search, the Board of Directors of Health Foundation of La Porte is pleased to announce the appointment of Eric DeWald as the organization’s next President & CEO. DeWald brings over two decades of exemplary leadership experience within foundations committed to community health and well-being.

DeWald has been President of HealthPath Foundation of Ohio for the past eight years, based in Cincinnati. Previously, he served for 15 years as CEO of Central Susquehanna Community Foundation (now Community Giving Foundation), in Berwick, PA.

DeWald succeeds Maria Fruth, HFL’s founding CEO, whose retirement had been announced previously.

“We are excited by what Eric DeWald represents for HFL and the communities we serve,” said Scott Siefker, chair of the foundation’s Board. “He is a humble, empathetic servant leader, and his experience leading community-based health legacy foundations to greater impact will build nicely on the wonderful progress Maria Fruth and her colleagues have accomplished in HFL’s first eight years.”

Added Stephanie Oberlie, chair of the foundation’s CEO search committee, “From our very first encounter, Eric impressed us as an approachable leader whose thoughtful, community-oriented approach to philanthropy would work exceptionally well here. He is an active learner, and his successes creating collaborative partnerships and attracting other funding in pursuit of shared goals are completely consistent with our long-term goals.” In addition, she noted, “Eric’s experience with housing and impact investing, two areas of special interest to us, is most timely.”

“I am truly honored by the opportunity to join HFL,” stated DeWald. “Not only does it bring together in one place my work over the last 25 years with health legacy foundations, community partners, government agencies, and the men and women doing great work on the ground every day, but I also get to do this in La Porte, which has already proven to be a very welcoming community.”

“HFL is rightly proud of how much it has accomplished since its founding eight years ago,” continued DeWald. “The board’s appetite for even greater impact is exciting. I look forward to working with the foundation’s staff, board, and partners—both current and future—as together we do all we can to ensure a thriving La Porte County for all its residents.

Maria Fruth, HFL’s CEO since inception, commented “I am delighted by Eric DeWald’s appointment. His philanthropic experience and collaborative approach offer great promise for our community. I look forward to welcoming him to La Porte and doing all I can to ensure a seamless transition.”

DeWald was selected after a comprehensive search led by BoardWalk Consulting, a national executive search firm devoted exclusively to the leadership of foundations and nonprofits. The search encompassed leaders in La Porte County, throughout Indiana, and in some two dozen other states.

The committee focused special attention on candidates with a proven record of strategic leadership and community enhancement, especially those working in and on behalf of smaller communities. From a pool of over 150 prospects and sources, the committee interviewed six contenders, invited four for second-round interviews, and met for a third time with two finalists. Following additional vetting, the search committee was unanimous in its recommendation of Eric DeWald to become HFL’s CEO.

Eric DeWald is a native of rural Pennsylvania “and a Midwesterner at heart.” He spent 15 years in Berwick, Pennsylvania (pop. 10,236), leading the first health conversion foundation of its kind in that state. After a short stint heading another private foundation, DeWald has been President of HealthPath Foundation, a part of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, since January 2016.

In his eight years at HealthPath, DeWald reshaped the foundation’s strategy and expanded its influence by repositioning HealthPath as an intermediary across its 36-county footprint. Over his tenure, HealthPath attracted millions in funds from government, corporations, and other funders for re-granting and technical assistance to communities in such focus areas as oral health, healthy aging, and domestic partner violence prevention.

DeWald earned his Master of Arts in Public Administration from Penn State University and his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Eastern College.

Speaking of his appointment, DeWald said, “I am grateful for the HFL board, Maria Fruth, her staff, and all those who helped nurture HFL’s development for creating such a wonderful platform for progress. I look forward to the relationships and opportunities we will pursue together.”

Eric DeWald begins as CEO of Health Foundation of La Porte on April 16, 2024.

About Health Foundation of La Porte:

Health Foundation of La Porte (HFL), a private, independent foundation, is dedicated to empowering La Porte County residents to live healthy and well. Since 2017, HFL has invested more than $41 million in the community through grantmaking, infrastructure, and capacity building. To learn more about HFL, please visit hflaporte.org.

For almost three years, Erik Nelson, workforce development coordinator at the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership (LEAP), has been forging important professional connections between people and organizations in the La Porte community. LEAP is a joint organization composed of the La Porte Chamber of Commerce and La Porte’s economic development corporation. Nelson counts himself fortunate to be so closely involved with LEAP and the work that it does for the community.

“Things are changing and growing in La Porte,” Nelson said. “In the last four or five years especially, that growth can really be seen in the city’s residential projects, restaurant options, and businesses. I’m grateful that I get to have a hand in projects that will have a big impact on our community in the future. It’s exciting to be a part of that.”

A La Porte native, Nelson graduated from La Porte High School in 2013. He went on to pursue a degree in sport management and marketing at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.

During his time at North Central, Nelson interned with the Chicago Bears, the Chicago Fire professional soccer team, and the Kane County Cougars minor league baseball team. After graduating in 2017, Nelson planned to work in either professional or collegiate sports. In 2019, he began working as a marketing and events assistant for the University of Notre Dame.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic would strike about six months after Nelson had started his new position, forcing Notre Dame to shut down all sports activities. Once the lockdown was lifted, Nelson was not called to resume his duties at the university. At this point, he learned about LEAP and, once a friend put in a good word for him, he was called in to interview for the newly-minted workforce development coordinator position. He was hired in 2021 and continues to enjoy the job to this day. Although his career has not gone in the direction that he expected, Nelson maintains a positive attitude and tries to pass on the lessons he has learned to others.

“When you're young, you have your future planned out and you think things are going to go exactly according to the plan,” Nelson said. “It can be nerve-wracking or scary when they don't. The path you end up taking might be very windy and unpredictable, but, as people always say, everything happens for a reason and things are going to work out. I'm getting to a point where I can look back at what I’ve been through and say, ‘I'm happy all of that happened because it brought me to where I am now.’ Whenever I work with high school kids, I tell them, ‘Just because your hopes and dreams for one thing don’t work out, that doesn't mean something good can't come out of it.’ I think you gain that knowledge through lived experience and by growing up.”

Nelson does more than share important life lessons with young La Porte citizens, however. Through his work at LEAP, he has helped to broaden horizons by establishing vital professional connections within the La Porte community.

“Relationship building and partnership building are huge aspects of my role as the workforce development coordinator,” said Nelson. “I help connect businesses with the local school corporation so that schools have a good understanding of the opportunities that our businesses can offer high school and college-age students. A lot of the time, in smaller communities like La Porte, kids are growing up and wondering what else is out there. I would strongly encourage our young adults to travel or go live somewhere other than La Porte for a time as I did. However, I hope that more of our young people come back to see the changes that have been made and enjoy La Porte’s small-town feel. I think it’s very important to help them make connections and make them aware of the opportunities that are right here in their own backyard.”

In addition to providing La Porte’s young adults with professional opportunities, Nelson gives back to his community in a variety of ways. He sits on the board of directors for United Way of La Porte County and serves as an advisor and mentor for the Slicer Champions Mentoring program at La Porte High School. As he faces the upcoming year, Nelson looks forward to helping LEAP produce new initiatives for La Porte and expresses much optimism for what lies ahead.

“Here soon, we’ll be announcing some exciting projects that are going to have a drastic and positive impact on the La Porte community,” said Nelson. “Many good things that will help maintain the city’s forward momentum are coming down the pipeline. I think some of them will surprise our community members, but I’m certain they’ll be very welcome surprises.”

Nelson spends his free time taking his dog to the park and on walks. He also enjoys spending time with his friends and family and frequently attends La Porte’s various year-round events.

Adrian Martinez-De La Cruz

A line of LaPorte High School staff and students poured out the door on Thursday as the school's brand new, student-run coffee shop was officially unveiled.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for The Coffee Club, a business venture developed by students in the entrepreneurship program.

The coffee shop, which began operating in mid-January, provides staff and students with their caffeine fix before the start of the school day.

They can also place orders and have their drinks delivered during the first hour of classes.

According to Angie LaRocco, a LaPorte High School business teacher who runs the entrepreneurship program, some of her students first came up with the idea for a coffee shop two years ago as a way to provide more beverage options at the school.

Preston Peterson, a former student, was part of the original group that came up with the business idea. When they first started working on it, Peterson said, they did not know if the shop was going to become a reality.

The students came up with the business plan and made all the decisions for the coffee shop, from the menu selections to the uniforms.

During the planning process, Peterson said, he learned the importance of communication skills — whether it was communicating with his classmates, presenting their plan to the school board or speaking with other schools who also opened up their own coffee shops.

Through a state grant for career and technical education, they were able to purchase equipment and materials for the shop.

Even if some of the students don't intend on starting their own business, LaRocco said, the students will still get the experience of dealing with all aspects of running a business, and the responsibilities that come with it.

In addition to being a coffee shop, the location is also meant to serve as a gathering spot for students and faculty.

"We wanted it to be kind of like club where we wanted people to have a safe place to come and hang out," LaRocco said.

Proceeds made will go back to the coffee shop, as the students aim to have it self-sustaining and eventually expand its operations.

Peterson said it's cool to update the original group of his classmates on the launch of the business idea they came up with.

"I feel like a proud dad," Peterson said jokingly. "Seeing everything that they've been able to accomplish just since I've been gone."

Peterson graduated from LaPorte High School in December and will be attending Milligan University in Tennessee to study business this fall.