Amy Lavalley

Senior content editor Amy Lavalley covered Porter County government for more than 10 years.

Georgia O'Keeffe's "Rust Red Hills" seen through Richard Hunt's stainless steel "Becoming" at the Brauer Museum of Art on the Valparaiso University campus in Valparaiso, Indiana Friday February 10, 2023. Campus and community members continue to react to announcement of the pending sale of O'Keeffe's and two other works to fund first-year student dorm renovations. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune)

Status of Brauer Museum artwork slated for sale unclear as Moody’s downgrades Valparaiso University’s rating

May 5, 2025 at 4:03 p.m.

Valparaiso University has "made enough progress" in its plans to sell three cornerstone pieces from the Brauer Museum to move forward with planned dorm renovations.

Eva Parrish, left, Linda Hobock and Anisa Rubalcava, maternal aunts of Dakota “Levi” Stevens, who was killed by his foster mother, gather at his grave at the Maplewood Memorial Cemetery in Crown Point on April 16, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

One year after Dakota ‘Levi’ Stevens died in foster care, his family still struggles

April 26, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Dakota "Levi" Stevens' family has had a year to ponder what happened, what could have been done differently, and what impact they can have moving forward.

One of the renderings of an expanded Central Park Plaza prepared by the engineering firm Abonmarche. (City of Valparaiso/provided)

Exploratory proposal to expand Valparaiso park off the table as property owners won’t sell

April 17, 2025 at 4:22 p.m.

Valparaiso will no longer explore a downtown park expansion after adjacent property owners discontinued talks to sell their buildings.

Porter fraudster Donald Johnson to remain in jail without bond as he continues to seek an attorney

April 11, 2025 at 3:48 p.m.

Donald M. Johnson remains in Porter County Jail without bond for six more months, telling the court he can hire a lawyer in that time.

Indiana Department of Homeland Security individual assistance specialist Vincent Grahovac, on left, speaks with a Valparaiso resident as he and other IDHS employees gather to assess damage in the region from recent storms, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

Impact of Sunday’s storm still being assessed in Valparaiso as NIPSCO works to restore power

April 3, 2025 at 3:49 p.m.

Kevin Cornett, who lives in the 400 block of Northview Drive on Valparaiso's north side, saw a hopeful sign on his block Thursday -- NIPSCO crews working on a power...

Concerned citizens filled the chambers of Valparaiso City Hall during the March 10, 2025, City Council meeting, with questions about a proposed data center on what was pegged for parkland. (Philip Potempa/for Post-Tribune)

Valparaiso officials: City can keep ARPA funds used to buy land for now-defunct plans for sports complex

March 15, 2025 at 11:31 a.m.

As part of the sweeping controversy over a now-defunct proposal for a data center on Valparaiso's north side, one question that remained after the brouhaha seems to have subsided is...

In August, Ivy Boutique, at right, and other area buildings suffered flooding with raw sewage in the vicinity of the new Linc development in downtown Valparaiso, at left. Building owners blame the construction site for mismanagement of the stormwater and sewers. (Michael Gard/for the Post-Tribune)

Business owners still waiting to be made whole after raw sewage floods their properties

March 2, 2025 at 9:30 a.m.

Almost seven months after heavy rain and a pump failure sent a torrent of raw sewage into the basements of businesses in downtown Valparaiso, at least two of those businesses,...

A flock of sandhill cranes flies in front of the setting sun as the birds return to the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in Medaryville on Friday, December 3, 2021. The migratory birds are now falling victim to avian influenza. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune)

Migrating sandhill cranes latest bird flu victims in Indiana; more than 1,500 killed

February 25, 2025 at 3:33 p.m.

Sandhill cranes are the latest victims of a particularly persistent strain of avian influenza, killing at least 1,500 of the migrating birds in recent weeks, according to a biologist with...

Valparaiso University's Chapel of the Resurrection in Valparaiso, Indiana as seen on January 6, 2022. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)

Valparaiso University business college dean charged with misdemeanor battery

February 21, 2025 at 7:00 p.m.

The now-former dean of Valparaiso University's College of Business was charged this week with misdemeanor battery and is no longer employed by the school but his defense attorney said the...

Former Portage girls softball league board member charged with theft over loss of more than $270K

February 12, 2025 at 2:18 p.m.

A Valparaiso woman has been charged with felony counts of theft and forgery after stealing more than $270,000 from a Portage girls softball league because of a gambling problem, according...

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