In the News

International conflicts, environmental concerns, and issues affecting veterans and active duty military personnel were discussed when U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan held his first of several town halls on Friday in Michigan City.

At City Hall on Jan. 26, the First District Democratic Congressman and his staff spoke to constituents about what’s going on in the House, and listened to concerns about Michigan City. The talk was first in a series planned across the district.

Some well-informed constituents interacted with U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, at his annual Town Hall Meeting in the Valparaiso City Council Chamber Friday afternoon.

They asked him to weigh in on everything from the pending Nippon Steel acquisition of U.S. Steel to his willingness to support limitations to Title IX regarding transgender girls in high school sports, while one woman challenged him to be more aggressive in advocating for veterans.

Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced a $127 million grant award received by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) through the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (MEGA) program. The funding will support the I-80/I-94 FlexRoad project in northwest Indiana.

Mason Burdan, Joshua Mola, students at Hanover Central Middle School in Cedar Lake, won the Congressional App Challenge in Indiana’s First Congressional District.

The app challenge is a nationwide competition for middle school and high school students. Students create and exhibit applications, or apps, for mobile, tablet or computer devices.

Burdan and Mola's winning app is a game called “The Dark Forest.” In the game, players collect points under time restrictions while facing obstacles.

U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, is hosting seven community forums next week, and a Jan. 30 online forum, to hear about issues directly from his constituents and to highlight how his office may be able to help with a variety of federal government concerns.

The hour-long sessions with the two-term congressman are free and scheduled for locations across Indiana's 1st Congressional District of Lake, Porter and northwest LaPorte counties.

Hanover Central Middle School students Mason Burdan and Joshua Mola understood each other’s skill sets well enough to produce an award-winning app.

U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, said Tuesday the students won the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Indiana’s First District.

Called “The Dark Forest,” the students’ software application, or app, takes gamers into a cabin in the woods where they must quickly close doors and windows to keep monsters out before sunrise.

Today, Congressman Frank J. Mrvan announced Mason Burdan and Joshua Mola of Hanover Central Middle School are the winning team of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Indiana’s First Congressional District.  Mason and Joshua used JavaScript to create their winning application, “The Dark Forest.”  Their application is a game designed for players to collect points under time restrictions while facing obstacles.

Two Hanover Central Middle School students were paid a surprised visit by U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, on Friday, as he revealed the duo were winners of a competition sponsored by Congress which promotes computer science.

The Congressional App Challenge is an annual competition for middle school and high school students to create an original app or computer program, with one winner coming from each congressional district.