The Starke County Highway Department is the recipient of a National Safe and Sustainable Snowfighting Award from the Salt Institute. They were honored for excellence in environmental consciousness and effective management in the storage of winter road salt. The county is one of 12 facilities in the United States and Canada to receive the honor this year and the first county in the nation to win the award since it was established in 2012. Starke County is also Indiana’s first non-INDOT honoree.
Last April public agencies that attended the American Public Works Association snow conference were given the opportunity to complete a 71 question checklist wintermaintenance checklist about their facilities and snowfighting policies. The checklists were scored, and the agencies with the highest scores were nominated for the award. In December an inspector from Wisconsin came out to evaluate the facility and verify the checklist answers.
“Our drivers have made a real effort in the last two years to improve our winter operations. It is good to see that hard work recognized,” Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler said.
