La Porte council honors state‑qualifying bowling teams and presents police commendations

The La Porte Common Council on Feb. 2 recognized the city’s high school bowling teams and presented awards to several police officers for acts of service and lifesaving.

Keith Gackel, head coach of the La Porte High School bowling teams, told the council the boys were conference champions, won the long‑running Holiday Classic for the first time in school history and advanced through sectionals and regionals to the state semifinals. "We've had a pretty remarkable season," Gackel said, and he noted individual qualifiers including Dalton Hines, Kerrigan Blind and Leah Ratz. The team is scheduled to compete at the state finals in Fort Wayne and is also eligible for a national tournament in Columbus, Ohio in June.

The council also heard recommendations and read letters commending city police officers. Officers recognized included Ryan DeWicke and Specialist Kager (captain's awards), Detective Dylan Barton and Dalton Flewhof (recently promoted to corporal), and letters recounted two notable lifesaving incidents: off‑duty Officer Devon Hammonds Flanagan helping a choking patient and Officer Brandon Pittman removing a juvenile from a bridge and securing her until emergency services arrived. Council members thanked the officers for actions they described as "above and beyond." The awards were presented publicly and the council took a group photo with awardees and merit commission representatives.

The recognitions were presented near the start of the meeting before the council moved into business items and committee reports.