Starke County Commissioners to Meet Tonight

The Starke County Commissioners will discuss a resolution concerning the Starke County Veteran’s Memorial project.

Members of the committee appeared before the Knox VFW members Saturday morning to ask for a contribution to get the project started.  A start-up cost of $57,000 was eventually approved toward the project.  The initial plans were to build the updated memorial on the southwest corner of the Starke County Courthouse Square, but the VFW members asked that it be moved to the southeast corner so it will not disturb the historic corner with the existing monuments.  A tree will need to come down to accommodate the space, which will be discussed among committee members.

Commissioner Kathy Norem told the Knox VFW members that the entire cost of the project will be around $200,000 with donations currently being accepted.  Benches at the new memorial with insignias of the branches of the military can be purchased for a donation of about $10,000 apiece and memorial bricks to be placed on the floor of the memorial can be purchased for a donation of $150 a brick. 

Committee members Norem, Commissioner Bryan Cavender, Mark Smith, Jeff V. Berg, Jay Weinberg, and Benjamin Garcia will be discussing the project with other VFW and American Legion members in the next few months.  The committee members would like to break ground on the project on Memorial Day with it complete by Veteran’s Day. 

In other business tonight, the commissioners will consider the purchase of software for Starke Circuit Court, and more discussion will be held concerning an alarm ordinance amendment and a sex offender registration fee ordinance. 

EMS Director Travis Clary and Clerk Mary Lynn Ritchie and Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler will have their regular reports while a health board appointment and CHC wellbeing requests will be reviewed. 

The Starke County Commissioners will meet at 6 p.m. CT tonight in the ground floor meeting room in the Starke County Annex No. 1 Building at 53 E. Mound Street in Knox.