UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 26, 2008

                              LAPORTE BANCORP, INC.
                              ---------------------
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

      Federal                          001-33733                   26-1231235
- -----------------------          ------------------------     ---------------
(State or Other Jurisdiction)    (Commission File No.)       (I.R.S. Employer
      of Incorporation)                                      Identification No.)

710 Indiana Avenue, LaPorte, Indiana                               46350
- ----------------------------------------------                     -----
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                        (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (219) 362-7511
                                                     --------------

                                 Not Applicable
                                 ---------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

[  ] Written communications  pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
     CFR 230.425)

[  ] Soliciting  material  pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
     CFR 240.14a-12)

[  ] Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant  to Rule  14d-2(b)  under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[  ] Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant  to Rule  13e-4(c)  under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))






Item 8.01  Other Events.
           -------------

     The Board of  Directors  of  LaPorte  Bancorp,  Inc.  (the  "Company")  has
authorized a stock  repurchase  program pursuant to which the Company intends to
repurchase,  in the open market and in privately negotiated transactions,  up to
60,000 of our  common  shares.  The  timing of the  repurchases  will  depend on
certain factors, including but not limited to, market conditions and prices, the
Company's   liquidity   requirements  and  alternative  uses  of  capital.   Any
repurchased  shares will be held as  treasury  stock and will be  available  for
general corporate purposes.

     During the month of November 2008, we repurchased in the open market 50,000
of our common shares at a weighted average cost including  commissions per share
of $6.45  pursuant to a repurchase  program  announced on November 13, 2008 (the
"November 13 Program".) The November 13 Program has now been completed.

     As previously  announced,  the Company,  together with LaPorte Savings Bank
MHC has  applied to receive an  investment  of up to $4 million  from the United
States Treasury ("UST")  pursuant to its Capital  Purchase Program ("CPP").  The
terms of the CPP as they would  apply to the  Company are not clear at this time
as a result of its MHC structure.  The Company has not yet determined whether or
not it would accept a CPP investment,  or the amount of such investment,  if its
application is approved.

     Under the standard terms of the CPP, for a period of three years, companies
may generally not repurchase,  without UST approval,  their shares while the CPP
investment is outstanding. It is unknown whether the UST would grant a waiver of
this  restriction  to the Company  should it request it following its receipt of
CPP funds.  Accordingly,  if the UST approves the Company's CPP  application and
the Company  determines  to accept a CPP  investment,  the  Company  anticipates
terminating  its  stock  repurchase  program  no  later  than  the  date of such
investment.

     This report contains certain forward-looking  statements about the proposed
stock repurchase program and CPP investment.  Forward-looking  statements can be
identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current
facts.  They  often  include  words  like  "believe,"  "expect,"   "anticipate,"
"estimate," and "intend" or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would,"
"should,"  "could," or "may." Certain factors that could cause actual results to
differ  materially  from  expected  results  include  delays in  completing  the
proposed repurchase program,  the status of our CPP application,  changes in the
interest  rate  environment,  changes  and  refinements  in the CPP  investment,
changes in the market price of LaPorte  Bancorp,  Inc. common stock,  changes in
the  general  economic  conditions,  legislative  and  regulatory  changes  that
adversely  affect the  business  of LaPorte  Bancorp,  Inc.  and  changes in the
securities markets.


Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
           ----------------------------------

     (a)  Financial Statements of Businesses Acquired: None

     (b)  Pro Forma Financial Information: None

                                       2


     (c)  Shell company transactions: None

     (d)  Exhibits: None

                                       3



                                   SIGNATURES


     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                       LAPORTE BANCORP, INC.


DATE:  November 26, 2008               By: /s/ Lee A. Brady
                                           ----------------
                                           Lee A. Brady
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer




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