The Pulaski County Board of Zoning Appeals and Advisory Plan Commission meetings were heavily attended Monday night by members of the Pulaski County farming community who are opposed to the construction of wind turbines and super turbines in the Pulaski County zoning jurisdiction and in the Francesville zoning jurisdiction.
All posts by Anita Goodan
Starke County Assessor to Review Reassessment Bid
Bids were opened last week for the next cycle of reassessments in Starke County.
Assessor Michelle Snowdon explained that the five year cycle of reassessment procedures is up and she advertised for bids for the next round. Crews take 25 percent of the county in the four years contracted and look at properties for any new buildings, buildings that may have been razed on a property, take measurements, and review the general condition of houses or structures. Snowdon said not all property owners go through the proper permitting process so these crews make sure all structures are recorded. Snowdon said the workers will then Continue reading
Culver Town Council to Meet Tonight
The Culver Town Council members are anticipated to adopt several ordinances when they meet tonight.
A rezoning ordinance that would change the BP Good Oil zoning from C-2 to C-1 for proposed renovations is up for third reading as is a rezoning ordinance to properly rezone park property into a park. A salary ordinance amendment will be considered for third reading.
National Day of Prayer Breakfast Set for May 3
The National Day of Prayer breakfast in Knox is on Thursday, May 3.
This year’s theme is unity as the country comes together to pray for each other. The event is sponsored by the office of Mayor Dennis Estok and the City of Knox. The breakfast will be held at 7 a.m CT at the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center at 55 E. Lake Street in Knox.
Pulaski County BZA, Plan Commission to Meet Tonight
Several residents are anticipated to attend the Pulaski County Board of Zoning Appeals and Plan Commission meetings tonight to gather more information on wind turbine discussions.
Water Damage Repaired at Starke County Annex Building
A malfunctioning sprinkler system recently caused several thousand dollars worth of damage in the Starke County Annex No. 1 building.
The Starke County Commissioners reviewed a contract last week with Paul Davis who completed repairs. The commissioners approved the work to be done during their previous March meeting, but didn’t have a contract in hand. The contract was signed last week.
Starke County Council Approves Increase in Surveyor Copy Prices
The Starke County Council members approved slight increase in the price for copies in the surveyor’s office.
Surveyor Bill Crase explained that with the purchase of his new copier/scanner, he wanted to be able to increase the public’s cost for copies. Those funds would be deposited into a new fund in the budget to be used to purchase supplies for the machine.
Dentist with North Judson Practice Charged in February Accident
A dentist with a practice in North Judson is formally charged in a La Porte County accident where one person died and two other people were injured.
Police say 46-year-old Jeffrey Bilyak was driving northbound in his red pickup truck in heavy fog shortly before 1 p.m. CT on Thursday, February 15, when he attempted to pass a semi in the area of the 19400 S. block of U.S. 421, north of LaCrosse. It was then when Bilyak’s truck hit a southbound ambulance head-on causing injury to himself, the driver and EMT inside the ambulance, plus a patient being transported to Indianapolis for medical treatment, according to police.
Medaryville Woman Arrested after Accident
A Medaryville woman was arrested on Tuesday night after reportedly swerving to miss a deer and going off the road while she was driving under the influence.
According to the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, 24-year-old Alexandria Burns and passenger Melvin R. Taylor, of Medaryville, were on State Road 106 and Plymouth-Goshen Trail in Marshall County when a deer ran out in the roadway. Burns swerved to miss the deer and her vehicle ran off the highway and rolled over, as accounted in the report.
Police say a Taylor suffered a broken collar bone in the accident.
Burns was arrested and booked into the Marshall County Jail on a preliminary felony charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury.
Two Arrested after Traffic Stop in North Judson
Two people were arrested after a traffic stop in North Judson on Wednesday evening.
According to police, North Judson Chief Deputy Frank Thomas initiated a traffic stop after the driver was reportedly recognized by the officer as a person with known arrest warrants. The driver did not stop and allegedly made erratic movements and crossed over the fog line. The driver did pull over about a half of a mile down the road.
Starke County Council Approves Job Description for Paramedic Shift Captain
Starke County EMS Director Travis Clary presented the Starke County Council members this week with a job description for a paramedic shift captain.
Clary explained that there isn’t an assistant EMS director so there is no supervisor backup if he goes on vacation or has to attend a meeting and is unavailable to the staff.
Francesville Lagoon Project Complete
Four Women Graduate Chemical Dependency and Addictions Program
Four women received their certificate of completion of the Chemical Dependency and Addictions Program at the Starke County Justice Center.
The inmates took part in the 14-week program provided by officials from Porter-Starke Services. The program focused on overcoming addictions while rethinking behaviors and life choices. Participants develop skills to manage stress, anger, cravings, triggers, critical thinking and decision making. The program was facilitated by Chemical Dependency and Addictions Therapist Leo Smith who has 27 years of experience in the field working in corrections, outpatient, residential and detoxification.
Funds Created for Starke County Park Board Grant Funds
With the acquisition of thousands of dollars worth of grants for projects at the Starke County Forest and the Bass Lake Beach, Starke County Auditor Kay Chaffins suggested the creation of two line items within the budget for those funds.
The park board was recently awarded $15,000 from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund and $5,000 in a Community Support Grant.
Francesville Police Vehicle to Get New Radar System
The newly-purchased police vehicle for the Francesville Police Department will soon be outfitted with a new radar system.
Francesville Clerk-Treasurer Linda Bennett said new decals are being put on the new 2018 Dodge pickup and a new radar system will be ordered. Town Marshal Doug Lee said he is seeking quotes to update the radar system for the new truck. The current system is outdated.
Knox City Police to Launch Crime Fighting App
The Knox City Police Department is planning to launch a new app that allows residents to submit anonymous tips.
According to Knox City Police Chief Harold Smith, “TIP411” can be accessed through the police department’s Facebook page to be used to report non-emergency criminal activity directly to officers. Users will be issued a Tipster ID which generates a random access code. That code will be sent as the Tipster ID when sending information to the Knox City Police Department to maintain anonymity.
LaPorte Man Arrested after Police Pursuit in Starke County
A La Porte man remains in the Starke County Justice Center after a weekend police pursuit in Starke County.
Members of the Starke County Traffic Safety Partnership were conducting a sobriety checkpoint on Saturday, March 17, on U.S. 30 and 600 E. when the driver of an orange colored passenger car allegedly disregarded a stop sign at that intersection. The vehicle then traveled west on U.S. 30 at a high rate of speed.
Francesville Officials to Research Wind Turbines, Plan Commission Formation
The Francesville Town Council members will be researching more information on wind turbines and the formation of a Francesville Plan Commission.
Starke County Council Discusses Expenditures for Sheriff’s Office
The Starke County Council members discussed funding for a new industrial-type washer and dryer at the justice center.
Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin told the council members Monday night that one set is from the old location on Pearl Street and they need an additional set to keep up with the amount of laundry. A quote from Miller Laundry Service was provided at a cost of $15,152. The price includes delivery and installation.
Inmates Graduate from Chemical Dependency and Addictions Program
Eight inmates from the Starke County Justice Center are now graduates of the Chemical Dependency and Addictions Program.
The program allowed inmates the opportunity to obtain counseling services and substance abuse education while incarcerated in the Starke County Justice Center. It was a 14-week treatment program facilitated by Porter-Starke Services and led by Chemical Dependency and Addictions Therapist Leo Smith. Therapists assisted inmates in restructuring behaviors and thoughts in addiction remediation. Skills taught included the management of stress, anger, cravings, triggers, critical reasoning and decision making.
