Category: News
DOJ Eyes Minnesota’s ‘Vouching’ System For Voter Registration, Demands Records
DOJ Eyes Minnesota’s ‘Vouching’ System For Voter Registration, Demands Records
The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) civil rights division demanded voter registration records from Minnesota on Jan. 2, saying the state’s law that allows people to “vouch” for others’ residency for voter registration appeared inconsistent with federal voting laws.
According to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, the DOJ is “particularly concerned” with votes and registrations accepted by “vouching” from other registered voters or residential facility employees, along with other same-day registration procedures.
Minnesota allows a registered voter to vouch for up to eight other individuals on Election Day.
Employees of senior care homes or other group facilities can vouch for an unlimited number of residents in their facilities.
As Jill McLaughlin reports below for The Epoch Times, Dhillon sent a letter to Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon demanding that he turn over all records documenting same-day voter registrations, records for votes cast by voters registered under same-day voter registrations, and other records related to the registrations and votes.
The request is for records going back 22 months, including the March 5, 2024, primary election and Nov. 5, 2024, general election.
The demand was made under the Civil Rights Act of 1960 and is to “ensure Minnesota’s registration and voting practices are in compliance with federal law, particularly the minimum requirement under [the Help America Vote Act],” according to the letter.
Minnesota’s “system seems facially inconsistent with the Help America Vote Act of 2002. We’ll see!” Dhillon posted on X on Friday.
The Help America Vote Act was passed by Congress in 2002 to reform the voting process by improving voting systems and voter access, following the 2000 election, when Florida’s recount exposed significant flaws in outdated punch-card voting machines that resulted in “hanging” and “dimpled” chads. Minnesota passed same-day voter registration in 1974.
Simon’s office did not return a request for comment about the demand.
Former Trump administration special government employee Elon Musk, who has been outspoken about recent developments in Minnesota, said the state’s voting system was “made for fraud” in an X post on Dec. 27, 2025.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon speaks during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington on Sept. 29, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Meanwhile, federal investigations into alleged widespread fraud continue in Minnesota.
In the latest move, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has suspended 6,900 of the state’s borrowers amid suspected fraudulent activity in the state’s pandemic-era loan programs, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said on Jan 1.
President Donald Trump said this week his administration plans to continue targeting alleged social services fraud in the state but may also focus on other states.
California, Illinois, and New York could be committing fraud that is allegedly worse, Trump said.
The DOJ has charged nearly 100 people in Minnesota as fraud investigations continue, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/02/2026 – 15:20
Afternoon Briefing: Indiana will see health program changes in 2026
Good afternoon, Chicago.
The Tinley Park Village Board is considering six proposals to add rules on rental housing in an effort to better prioritize “community health over corporate wealth,” said Trustee Ken Shaw.
Shaw said the policies, which include new fees and fines along with required in-person inspections for rental housing, aim to protect Tinley Park residents from absentee landlords and corporate speculation, and to ensure rental housing is safe and high quality.
Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
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Indiana Gov. Mike Braun is joined by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, right, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz during a news conference in Indianapolis, April 15, 2025. (Michael Conroy/AP)
Indiana will see health program changes in 2026
Hoosiers who use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits won’t be able to use the benefits to purchase sugary drinks and candy starting yesterday. Read more here.
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Amazon plans a retail store at the southwest corner of LaGrange Road and 159th Street, site of the former Petey’s II, restaurant in Orland Park.
Amazon seeks approval for retail center at 159th and LaGrange Road
Amazon is seeking to open a large retail space on the southwest corner of the busy 159th Street and LaGrange Road intersection in Orland Park, site of the former Petey’s II restaurant, village officials say. Read more here.
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Tesla loses title as world’s biggest electric vehicle maker as sales fall for second year in a row
Railroad merger could mean more trains in Chesterton
Bears tight end Colston Loveland (84) and running back Kyle Monangai celebrate after Loveland’s touchdown reception in the second quarter against the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on Dec. 28, 2025, in Santa Clara, CAlif. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
5 things to watch in the Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions game at Soldier Field — plus our Week 18 predictions
In recent years, Week 18 has signaled the end for the Chicago Bears. Not so this year. For the first time since 2020, the Bears are headed to the postseason. They have bigger goals on the horizon, starting with next week’s wild-card round of the playoffs. Read more here.
More top sports stories:
Rome Odunze returns to Bears practice — and the wide receiver is listed as questionable for Week 18
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Oprah Winfrey, the new host of “AM Chicago,” on State Street in 1984. (Ovie Carter/Chicago Tribune)
Today in Chicago History: Oprah Winfrey debuts on ‘AM Chicago’
On this day in 1984, Oprah Winfrey debuted as the new host of “AM Chicago.” Read more here.
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Bad Bunny’s ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’ could make Grammy history
There’s never been a better time to quit caffeine
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (Alex Brandon/AP)
President Trump defends his energy and health, offers new details on screening he underwent
President Donald Trump defended his energy and health in an interview with The Wall Street Journal and disclosed that he had a CT scan, not an MRI scan, during an October examination about which he and the White House delayed offering details. Read more here.
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Push For Censorship On Campus Hit Record Levels In 2025
Push For Censorship On Campus Hit Record Levels In 2025
Authored by Sean Stephens via American Greatness,
This year, the fight over free expression in American higher education reached a troubling milestone. According to data from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, efforts to censor speech on college campuses hit record highs and across multiple fronts—and most succeeded.
Let’s start with the raw numbers. In 2025, FIRE’s Scholars Under Fire, Students Under Fire, and Campus Deplatforming databases collectively tracked:
525 attempts to sanction scholars for their speech, more than one a day, with 460 of them resulting in punishment.
273 attempts to punish students for expression, more than five a week, with 176 of these attempts succeeding.
160 attempts to deplatform speakers, about three each week, with 99 of them succeeding.
That’s 958 censorship attempts in total, nearly three per day on campuses across the country. For comparison, FIRE’s next highest total was 477 two years ago.
The 525 scholar sanction attempts are the highest ever recorded in FIRE’s database, which spans from 2000 to the present. Even when a large-scale incident at the U.S. Naval Academy is treated as just a single entry, the 2025 total still breaks records.
Twenty-nine scholars were fired, including 18 who were terminated since September for social media comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Student sanction attempts also hit a new high, and deplatforming efforts—our records date back to 1998—rank third all-time, behind 2023 and 2024.
The problem is actually worse because FIRE’s data undercounts the true scale of campus censorship.
Why? The data rely on publicly available information, and an unknown number of incidents, especially those that may involve quiet administrative pressure, never make the public record.
Then there’s the chilling effect.
Speakers are being disinvited or shouted down.
And administrators, eager to appease the loudest voices, are launching investigations and handing out suspensions and dismissals with questionable regard for academic freedom, due process, or free speech.
Some critics argue that the total number of incidents is small compared to the roughly 4,000 colleges in the country. But this argument collapses under scrutiny. While there are technically thousands of institutions labeled as “colleges” or “universities,” roughly 600 of them educate about 80% of undergraduates enrolled at not-for-profit four-year schools. Many of the rest of these “colleges” and “universities” are highly specialized or vocational programs. This includes a number of beauty academies, truck-driving schools, and similar institutions—in other words, campuses that aren’t at the heart of the free speech debate.
These censorship campaigns aren’t coming from only one side of the political spectrum.
FIRE’s data shows, for instance, that liberal students are punished for pro-Palestinian activism, conservative faculty are targeted for controversial opinions on gender or race, and speaking events featuring all points of view are targeted for cancellation. The two most targeted student groups on campus? Students for Justice in Palestine and Turning Point USA. If that doesn’t make this point clear, nothing will.
The common denominator across these censorship campaigns is not ideology— it’s intolerance.
So where do we go from here?
We need courage: from faculty, from students, and especially from administrators. It’s easy to defend speech when it’s popular. It’s harder when the ideas are offensive or inconvenient. But that’s when it matters most.
Even more urgently, higher education needs a cultural reset. Universities must recommit to the idea that exposure to ideas and speech that one dislikes or finds offensive is not “violence.” That principle is essential for democracy, not just for universities.
This year’s record number of campus censorship attempts should be a wake-up call for campus administrators. For decades, many allowed a culture of censorship to fester, dismissing concerns as overblown, isolated, or a politically motivated myth. Now, with governors, state legislatures, members of Congress, and even the White House moving aggressively to police campus expression, some administrators are finally pushing back. But this push-back from administrators doesn’t seem principled. Instead, it seems more like an attempt to shield their institutions from outside political interference.
That’s not leadership. It’s damage control. And it’s what got higher education into this mess in the first place.
If university leaders want to reclaim their role as stewards of free inquiry, they cannot act just when governmental pressure threatens their autonomy. They also need to be steadfast when internal intolerance threatens their mission. A true commitment to academic freedom means defending expression even when it’s unpopular or offensive. That’s the price of intellectual integrity in a free society.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/02/2026 – 15:00
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/push-censorship-campus-hit-record-levels-2025
The Way We Were: Naperville’s first private school preceded what’s now Naper Elementary
This historic photo is of teacher Mamie Thompson’s class at Naper Academy, 39 S. Eagle St., taken about 1880. The private school opened in December 1853, with the Rev. Nelson Atkins serving as principal and 50 tuition-paying students attending, according to Naper Settlement records. It would become a free school in 1863 under a special charter issued by the state, and in 1911 it joined with Ellsworth School to form a school district. To make way for the larger, more modern Naper School (now Naper Elementary School), the building was demolished in 1928.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/naperville-naper-academy-school-photo/
Rep. Massie Blasts Trump’s Iran Warning: “We Have Problems At Home”
Rep. Massie Blasts Trump’s Iran Warning: “We Have Problems At Home”
First it was over the White House’s Venezuela policy, but now conservative and contrarian libertarian-leaning firebrand Rep. Thomas Massie is lashing out at President Trump over his fresh Iran warning and ultimatum.
Amid the nearly weeklong economic and anti-government protests in Iran, Trump added fuel to the fire on Friday, stating on Truth Social that if Iran shoots and “violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.”
Massie and Trump have frequently clashed over the past year. File image
This sounded to many like threat of regime change in another Middle East capital – though Trump might be thinking of other ‘options’ such as more sanctions and efforts to further isolate the Islamic Republic on the world stage.
Massie on Friday in response listed three points as a counter to and critique of Trump: “We have problems at home and shouldn’t be wasting military resources on another country’s internal affairs,” Massie wrote on X.
He said that second, “Military strikes on Iran require Congressional authorization.” He followed with the final criticism of, “This threat isn’t about freedom of speech in Iran; it’s about the dollar, oil, and Israel” – while reposting Trump’s original message.
Massie has long been a thorn in the side of Trump’s latest foreign policy adventures, and the Republican from Kentucky along with Sen. Rand Paul has a significant following among Trump’s MAGA base.
He indeed gives voice to the growing viewpoint that Trump should stick to his campaign promises and not allow the United States military to be the “police force of the world”.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald has meanwhile also called out Trump for not being ‘America First’ enough, while highlighting Massie’s commentary…
In case you’re wondering why three fanatically pro-Israel oligarchs (Miriam Adelson, Paul Singer and John Paulson) are single-handedly funding the campaign to remove @RepThomasMassie from Congress, see below.
Too much America First. Can’t have that: pic.twitter.com/i7NwMmkNC1
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 2, 2026
For many others, however, Trump’s reviving a Monroe Doctrine concept of how foreign policy should work might sound promising and refreshing. But it does require Washington to lessen or remove its footprint from conflict theatres ranging from Eastern Europe to the Middle East, as well as perhaps a policy of much less provoking China over the hot button Taiwan issue.
* * *
And more shots fired from MGT to boot…
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/02/2026 – 14:40
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/rep-massie-blasts-trumps-iran-warning-we-have-problems-home
Chesterton Police officer on leave charged with felony assault
A Chesterton Police officer who was already on paid administrative leave now faces additional scrutiny because of felony charges alleging he assaulted a pregnant woman on New Year’s Eve.
Ryan Joseph Miller, 32, of Portage, is charged with two Level 5 felonies of domestic battery and strangulation. The charges are felonies because the victim is pregnant, says a probable cause statement filed Friday by the Porter County prosecutor.
Portage Police were called at 9:34 p.m.Wednesday to Miller’s residence.
Miller is accused of grabbing the woman by the shoulders and throwing her against a wall. Then, Miller placed his hands around her neck and applied pressure, causing the woman to experience difficulty breathing, the court document states.
The woman told Portage Police that she is 25 weeks pregnant.
Chesterton Police Chief Tim Richardson said by text message that he is aware of the Portage case involving Miller but cannot comment.
In early December, Richardson placed Miller, who holds the rank of corporal, on paid administrative leave.
Richardson said he cannot discuss the reason why, citing the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which restricts the release of information.
Meanwhile, Chesterton Council President Erin Collins, D-2nd, on New Year’s Day released a statement on behalf of the Town Council about the arrest. The statement didn’t name the officer.
“Allegations of this nature are taken extremely seriously. Conduct that endangers others or undermines public trust is not tolerated by the Town of Chesterton or the Chesterton Police Department,” Collins said. “The allegations will be investigated and addressed through the appropriate internal and statutory processes, including review by the Metropolitan Board of Police Commissioners.”
Since the officer was already on administrative leave, he will now remain so pending the outcome of the investigation concerning the arrest, Collins said.
Collins said there will be no further comment while the proceedings are underway. “Our focus remains on accountability, transparency and ensuring the safety and confidence of our community,” she said.
In October, the town of Chesterton and Miller were named in a lawsuit stemming from a crash involving Miller that occurred on Ind. 149 on Sept. 26, 2024. Chesterton Police officers frequently drive on Ind. 149 because it’s near the town’s western border.
Michael Dinkins stated he sustained severe personal injuries when Miller, operating a Chesterton Police cruiser, struck the rear of his motorcycle, the suit filed in Porter Superior Court says.
Dinkins accuses Miller of negligence, saying that the officer caused the crash when he “failed to slow or stop his police vehicle.”
The suit seeks compensation, noting that Dinkins has suffered permanent, disabling injuries that will limit his future earning capacity.
The town of Chesterton has yet to respond.
Richardson said the civil case has nothing to do with the decision to put Miller on administrative leave.
Miller has nine years of law enforcement experience, joining the Chesterton Police Department in 2019. He was promoted to corporal in December 2022 and had been assigned to work as an accident reconstruction specialist and field training officer.
Cpl. Miller was honored along with Chesterton Police Officer Cole Foster and Porter Police Officer with Life Saving Awards for their first aid efforts in helping a man who sustained a severe laceration on his right forearm during a disturbance on Grant Avenue on June 4.
Their decisive action in applying a tourniquet saved the man’s life. Miller didn’t attend the awards ceremony, conducted during the Dec. 11 Chesterton Police Commission meeting.
Miller is being held in the Porter County Jail. His initial hearing is set for 9 a.m. Monday in Porter Superior Court 2.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Rome Odunze returns to Chicago Bears practice — and the wide receiver is listed as questionable for Week 18
Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze returned to practice for the first time in three weeks on Friday. Odunze had not participated in practice since Dec. 12.
The second-year receiver hasn’t appeared in a game since the Bears beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 28. Since then, a foot injury has largely kept him off the practice field.
Odunze briefly returned to practice in the lead-up to the Week 15 matchup against Cleveland on Dec. 14, but he was a late scratch ahead of that game after aggravating his foot injury in pregame warm-ups. Since then, Odunze has not practiced.
That is, until Friday. The Bears listed Odunze as a limited participant and said he is questionable for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions.
After Odunze aggravated his foot injury ahead of the Browns game, Bears coach Ben Johnson said that “all options are on the table” with regard to getting Odunze healthy. The Bears avoided placing him on IR, but all in all, Odunze has missed four consecutive games.
Johnson said this week the Bears are “playing to win” the Week 18 matchup despite already locking up a playoff spot. A win against Detroit would secure the No. 2 playoff seed in the NFC.
Asked specifically about Odunze this week, Johnson said, “We’ll kind of go through the course of the week here and see what his availability is in terms of practice.”
The Bears have weathered the storm without Odunze, who was leading the team in receptions (44), receiving yards (661) and receiving touchdowns (six) through November. Veteran receiver DJ Moore and rookie Luther Burden III have had big games since Odunze went down.
The Bears don’t necessarily have to play Odunze on Sunday against Detroit. But as of Friday, it looked like there was at least a chance he could make his return.
Additionally, Bears safety Jaquan Brisker (illness), cornerback Nick McCloud (illness) and left tackle Ozzy Trapilo (knee/quad) are listed as questionable. The Bears ruled out defensive end Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (concussion).
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/chicago-bears-rome-odunze-questionable-week-18/
Naperville News Digest: Naperville named one of the state’s best cities for retirement ; Will County Emergency Management offers webinar series
Naperville named one of the state’s best cities for retirement
Naperville has been recently named one of the eight best cities in Illinois to retire, according to WorldAtlas.com.
The website looked at cites for their access to advanced medical care and opportunities to stay social and intellectually engaged without needing to travel long distances or constant driving.
It lauded Naperville for its Riverwalk, which is used regularly for walking, stretching or cycling rather than just sightseeing.
Various cultural opportunities from Naper Settlement’s outdoor history museums to an array of concerts performed at Wentz Concert Hall on North Central College’s campus also were cited.
Endeavor Health Edward Hospital has been repeatedly named among the nation’s top hospitals and features hundreds of private patient rooms, modern imaging and full inpatient and emergency services, the website said.
Naperville joins other communities, including Chicago, Aurora and Rockford, as among the best places in Illinois to retire, according to the listing.
Will County Emergency Management Agency is holding a webinar program, “Snow, Ice & Everything Nice: Winter Preparedness for Every Household,” on Jan. 6. (Naperville Sun)
Will County Emergency Management offers webinar series
The Will County Emergency Management Agency will hold five free webinars to help residents prepare for emergencies and severe weather.
The Lunch and Learn Webinar Series begins Tuesday, Jan. 6 with a feature on staying safe during winter storms, power outages and extreme cold. “Snow, Ice & Everything Nice: Winter Preparedness for Every Household,” will start at noon. It includes a 30-minute presentation followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer session.
Each of the webinars in the series will be held at noon on the first Tuesday of the month until May. Registration is required.
Future webinar topics include: “Weathering the Storm Within: Understanding the Emotional Impact of Disasters” on Feb. 3, “Weathering the Storm Together: How Will County Residents Can Stay Safe” on March 3, “The Resilient Chef: Cooking When the Power Goes Out” on April 7, and “What’s the Big Deal About Heat? (Spoiler: A Lot!)” on May 5.
Participants may register for individual sessions or sign up for the full series. To register, go to www.willcountyema.org/learn.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/naperville-retirement-will-emergency-webinars/
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani Revokes Orders Issued After Adams’ Indictment
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani Revokes Orders Issued After Adams’ Indictment
Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order on Jan. 1 that will undo orders his predecessor, Eric Adams, issued after being indicted on bribery and corruption charges in September 2024.
The order, which went into effect immediately, is among a series of executive actions Mamdani signed on his first day in office after being sworn in as the city’s mayor on Jan. 1.
His office stated that the order would rescind executive actions issued by Adams on or after Sept. 26, 2024, when the outgoing mayor was indicted on bribery, campaign finance, and conspiracy offenses. It did not list the specific executive orders to be revoked.
Orders likely to be revoked include a directive Adams issued on Dec. 3, 2025, which barred agency staff and mayoral appointees from engaging in procurement practices that discriminate against Israel and Israeli citizens.
Another affected order, issued by Adams that same day, directed the New York Police Department commissioner to evaluate proposals for regulating protest activity near houses of worship to protect freedom of speech.
Mamdani told reporters on Jan. 1 that he intends to keep the Mayor’s Office to Combat Anti-Semitism, established by Adams in May 2025. Adams issued the first mayoral report on anti-Semitism one day before Mamdani was sworn in, highlighting the need to tackle anti-Semitism in the city.
“That is an issue that we take seriously, and it’s part of the commitment that we’ve made to Jewish New Yorkers to not only protect them, but to celebrate and cherish them,” the new mayor said.
In his inaugural address, Mamdani emphasized that his administration would not “hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives.”
“The only expectation I seek to reset is that of small expectations,” he said during his inauguration ceremony at City Hall. “Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously. We may not always succeed. But never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try.”
The September 2024 indictment against Adams, the first against a sitting New York City mayor, alleged that Adams accepted illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals during his 2021 mayoral campaign.
Adams was also accused of receiving improper benefits while serving as Brooklyn Borough president in 2014, including international travel from foreign businessmen and at least one Turkish government official.
He pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. A federal judge in April 2025 dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning the charges cannot be brought again, after the Justice Department asked for the case to be dismissed.
The Epoch Times reached out to Adams for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
Other executive orders Mamdani signed included measures to revitalize the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants and to establish two new task forces focused on leveraging city-owned land to accelerate housing development and removing bureaucratic and permitting barriers that drive up costs and delay housing construction.
Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, won the Nov. 4, 2025, mayoral contest over independent candidate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/02/2026 – 14:20
Swimmers brave frigid Lake Michigan for New Year’s Day plunge
Dozens of swimmers took to Lake Michigan on Thursday in Ogden Dunes as part of an unofficial New Year’s Day polar plunge.
Elsie Anderson, of Ogden Dunes, greeted many of them with a shot of Fireball cinnamon whiskey to warm them up from the inside out afterward, pouring the shots into plastic cups held by shaking hands.
“Sometimes you want to start traditions and continue traditions,” Anderson said. Doing so builds stronger communities, she believes, offering her 26 years of wisdom from previous polar plunges.
The Ogden Dunes Fire Department was on hand in case of emergencies.
“It’s the drying part that you need to hurry up,” Gabriel Monroy, of Ogden Dunes, said.
Bryan Beyster, of Portage, acted as cheerleader for wife Toni Beyster. “I could be that guy right there fishing for perch,” he said, pointing to a boat on the horizon. “I like to stay in the boat.”
Toni, though, wanted to do “something adventurous.”
“It’s incredible,” she said. “I can’t even feel my fingers.” She plans to return next year.
Toni took part two years ago but missed last year. “Sometimes it’s hard to remember to take time for you and not just be a parent,” she said.
“I’m a little warmer now,” she said after her shot of Fireball.
A large crowd hit the beach in Ogden Dunes for the annual unofficial New Year’s Day polar plunge Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Doug Ross/for Post-Tribune)
Amanda Tomczak, of Griffith, and Logan Reid, of Hobart, are friends who are sort of twinsies, sharing an Aug. 13 birthday.
“I’d do it again,” said Tomczak, who went all the way underwater to get her hair wet. “It’s my first time doing it.”
Tomczak, Reid and their friend Maggie Liston, of Hobart, were at Indiana Dunes State Park for the annual Jan. 1 hike to celebrate the new year and decided to go to Ogden Dunes for a dip in the lake.
The beach’s address was on the Facebook event page, but they misread the address and rang the doorbell at a house with the same number as the beach access point. No one answered, but they followed the crowd to find their way to an appropriate parking spot and the beach.
The air temperature was 20 while the water temperature was about 35 as swimmers defied the weather to take a brief dip in Lake Michigan for a New Year’s Day polar plunge in Ogden Dunes Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Doug Ross/for Post-Tribune)
Tomczak and Reid were the final two swimmers on Thursday.
“Now we jumped into a freezing cold lake together,” Reid said. “I should have gone under. Next year.”
“I didn’t think about it,” Tomczak said. “If I stop to think, it will mess me up.”
Liston, their videographer, didn’t get wet this year but is thinking about it for next year.
John Greenfield-Hillesland, of Ogden Dunes, got “very, very cold” Thursday.
“We just moved here right before Thanksgiving,” he said, and wanted to join his neighbors in the tradition. “I had nothing else to do, and it seemed like fun.”
Jon Lehmann, of Ogden Dunes, swam in Lake Michigan Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, but it was too cold for son Samuel, 4, who wore his swimsuit to the beach. (Doug Ross/for Post-Tribune)
Jon Lehmann, of Ogden Dunes, said his son Samuel, 4, wore a swimsuit but it was too cold for the boy. Dad, though, spoke about the experience while wearing a stocking cap, coat, and a towel around his waist.
“Honestly, the cold doesn’t hit you until you’re leaving the water,” Lehmann said. “I still can’t feel my fingers.”
Friends Jay Combs, of Ogden Dunes, and Sophia Hoogeveen, of Dyer, went in the water together. “You forget how to breathe,” Combs said, and use a lot of adrenaline.
Sophia admitted to being “just insane, basically,” as her motivation to swim when the air temperature was 20.
Jay Combs, of Ogden Dunes, and Sophia Hoogeveen, of Dyer, emerge from Lake Michigan after participating in the annual Ogden Dunes polar plunge Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Doug Ross/for Post-Tribune)
Edwin Aviles and Trevor Alexander, both members of the Ogden Dunes Fire Department, went in the water. It was “just a fresh start to the year,” Alexander said.
Aviles hadn’t taken the polar plunge before but said he will do it again next year.
“It’s a roller coaster of emotion,” Alexander said. “After like a minute, it’s refreshing.”
“This is the only time it’s OK to run like a girl,” said Steve Whittmer, of Kouts, who showed up for moral support but not to swim.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
