Christmas Day is not an off day for everyone.
IU Health Starke Hospital President David Hyatt was up early yesterday distributed candy canes for those who sacrifice at least part of the day with their families to be in their departments helping those who had to spend Christmas in the hospital. Hyatt thanked each and every colleague who was on duty when he arrived for their dedication and devotion.
The cause of death for a trucker found dead at the Pilot Truck Stop in Marshall County has been ruled as natural causes, according to Marshall County Coroner Bill Cleavenger.
Cleavenger announced Thursday that the death of Bruce Garrett of Pittsburg, who was found dead in the cab of his semi-truck at the truck stop on Tuesday, Dec. 11, was caused by pre-existing medical conditions. Toxicology results had recently been obtained and determined that no drugs or alcohol were present in his system at the time of his death.
Cleavenger has ruled the case closed due to natural death.
The North Judson Town Board is looking to the future as they approved a resolution to encumber some money from their paving funds over into the 2013 budget.
Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that in order to save money from a 2012 fund to be used in 2013, the board must encumber the funds, which requires the board to have a proposal and a contract with the vendor. The vendor must guarantee that the price will be the same when the time comes to perform the service, usually in the spring.
The town of Culver has extended its garbage pickup contract with local vendor Allied Waste. Culver Town Manager David Schoeff explained the town has used Allied’s services for three years, and with the contract staying the same price, there’s no reason to look anywhere else.
Schoeff said Allied seems to enjoy working with the community, and at a cost of only $14.09 to the town per property, he said the price is right. The total contract for the Culver community comes out to around $10,285 a month for garbage and recycling pickup.
Schoeff said they’re glad to use a vendor with a nearby office.
The La Porte Hospital Foundation was awarded a $13,695 grant on behalf of IU Health La Porte Hospital. The grant was provided by the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust.
The IBCAT aims to fund the La Porte Hospital Foundation Breast Cancer Project, which helps low-income, uninsured women over 40 and women of any age who are at high risk for breast cancer receive screening mammograms through a physician’s referral.
Anyone who wishes to dispose of their natural Christmas tree may do so by placing the tree near the curb where they would normally put any brush during the summer months. Officials emphasized that all ornaments and tinsel must be removed before the tree will be taken for disposal.
In addition, residents can also dispose of their tree in the city’s compost drop-off pile located behind City Hall. The garbage contractors will not pick up disposed natural Christmas trees â these must be picked up by the brush pickup crews or dropped off at the compost drop-off pile.
The Starke County Youth Club proudly announced last week the 2013 season of its youth basketball program. All Starke County students in grades Kâ4 are eligible to join.
Registration for the 2013 season is $25 for SCYC members and $35 for non-members, and multi-student discounts are available with more information available at thescyc.org.
For those of you who receive a new electronic device for Christmas and have no idea how to use it, worry not – Culver-Union Township Public Library recently announced a number of new technology classes they will begin offering in January. Two weeks of classes are scheduled for January, in addition to a class on Overdrive, their new downloadable eBook and Audiobook service.
Yesterday’s snowfall caused a number of accidents throughout the area, though no serious injuries have been reported.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department reported a rollover accident on Lincoln Highway, west of Gumwood Road, involving a 2002 Chevy Blazer drived by John P. Premetz. Officials say Premetz, 30 of Warsaw, was traveling west on the highway when he lost control of his vehicle at around 7:20 a.m. and left the roadway. The vehicle then rolled over and sustained significant damage.
The North Judson Town Board approved a number of purchase orders for new equipment for the utility department. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained the board approved purchases to replace worn-out tools and other equipment, and they approved the purchase of a set of heavy-duty backhoe forks. Henry said the forks can be mounted on the front bucket of the backhoe to allow it to lift items, making it easy to unload pipes, fire hydrants, or other heavy items that may need hauled.
Culver Town Manager David Schoeff said he’s excited about starting off their storm water project now that the town has been awarded a grant by the Office of Community and Rural Affairs to revamp their storm water system.
Schoeff explained the town received just under $793,000 in grant money to rectify a flooding issue on the south end of the elementary school and other areas. The project will rehab the current storm water structure and add new drains and lines toward State Road 17.
A significant number of people have come down with the flu, and some places are taking steps to prevent the sickness from spreading. Due to the high number of flu cases in the area, Pulaski Memorial Hospital has announced that in an effort to protect their patients, staff, and visitors, the hospital will be temporarily limiting visitation.
The Culver Academies’ Black Horse Troop and Equestriennes recently announced that they have accepted an invitation to participate in the Presidential Inaugural Parade on Jan. 21 for President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. Culver Academies celebrates this return to the Capitol in the centennial year of Culver’s first inaugural appearance in 1913.
The North Judson-San Pierre School Board this week approved a number of bids during their regular board meeting. Superintendent Lynn Johnson said the board approved bids on two replacement buses, as well as the tax anticipation bids.
Johnson explained the school is on a 12-year replacement cycle for buses, so the school is regularly looking at replacing the vehicles. This year, she said the school had two buses that needed to be replaced as per the rotation, and the board requested several bids from a number of companies.
The tax anticipation bid was required because the school is still financing their gymnasium and fine arts auditorium which was built approximately 13 years ago. She said the school is still financing those new additions until 2017, but once that debt is resolved, she said the corporation will be better equipped to look into additional improvements.
The La Porte Hospital Foundation, on behalf of IU Health Starke Hospital and the Starke Health Fund, was awarded a $3900 grant from the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust.
Through funding from the trust, the La Porte Hospital Foundation Breast Cancer Project will assist low-income, uninsured women older than 40 and women at any age who are at high risk for breast cancer to receive screening mammograms through a physician’s referral.
The first significant snowfall has hit the area, bringing with it temperatures around 29 degrees with a wind chill at 15 degrees. The snow is expected to continue, heavy at times, through 7 a.m. before switching to flurries until 4 p.m.
Wind gusts continue to come out of the west around 23 mph and are expected to remain steady through 4 p.m. and gradually increase. Roads are already snow-covered and may be covered in ice in some spots, so be sure to drive safe and allow yourself extra time to travel. Increase the distance between your vehicle and the vehicles in front of you, giving yourself plenty of time to stop at intersections.
Practice extra caution; blowing snow could decrease visibility at times. A number of traffic incidents have been reported in the northern half of Indiana, but no incidents have been reported in the immediate area as of 4:30 a.m.
School closings and any traffic information will be posted as soon as it is received.
A traffic stop led to the arrest of an intoxicated driver who was also found with a number of narcotics in his possession.
On Tuesday, Marshall County Dispatch received a report of a reckless driver traveling southbound on U.S. 31 from the Lakeville area. Shortly afterward, an officer conducted a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle which he found was driving left of center. The driver, Ryan Stockberger, was given a field sobriety test which he subsequently failed.
A Plymouth woman whose son was killed in a car accident last year has found a way to cope with her loss while helping others to get through one of the hardest things a parent can go through: the loss of a child. Deb Johnson’s son, 17-year-old Drew Shearin, was killed while driving home from work last year. No drugs or alcohol were involved, and his mother said he may have swerved to avoid an animal.
Our partners at WNDU featured Johnson in their report, âCoping With The Loss,â featured below.
Marla Freeman was sentenced in Pulaski Circuit Court this week after pleading guilty to possession charges in two separate cases.
Freeman pleaded guilty to Possession of a Controlled Substance as a Class D felony in the first case, and Possession of a Narcotic Drug as a Class D felony in the second case. She was sentenced to serve six months in the Department of Corrections for each case to run consecutively.
The town of Culver is slowly but surely making headway on their comprehensive plan project. Town Manager David Schoeff explained the board is taking their time because of the plan’s importance to the community, and they’ve been trying to spread the word to get Culver residents involved in the process.
Schoeff explained that the comprehensive plan is neither a town document nor a plan document; rather, he said, it’s a community document â a guidebook on where the community would like the town to ultimately end up, or what it will become.
