North Judson Town Council Approves Billing Clerk’s Request to Switch from Card to Letter-Style Billing

North Judson residents will notice a change to their utility bills starting in 2019.

Billing Clerk Jennifer Vanek came before the town council last week, seeking their permission to switch from card style bills to letters in envelopes. She noted that the service is provided through Boyce which the company that owns the Keystone, the billing software the town utilizes.

She told members, “We just send them a file about once a month, about two to three days before we want them to be mailed and for 19 cents a bill they will print, fold and mail.” Continue reading

North Judson Town Council Covers Preliminary Cost Estimate for Norwayne Field Splash Pad

North Judson Town Council members held a preliminary discussion about financing for the proposed splash pad installation at Norwayne Field when they met on Tuesday.

Since there seems to be a general consensus amongst community members and town representatives that this is a positive project to pursue, Councilman James Young said he’s been coordinating with Bill Smith from Vortex Aquatic Structures about developing a plan.

Councilman Young said he told Smith the Town is looking to spend approximately $60,000 or less for the installation of the recreational water feature.  Continue reading

This Volunteer Training Course Will Help You be Prepared If a Disaster Strikes

If you’re interested in preparing yourself to provide assistance in the event of an emergency, you should consider attending the free Red Cross volunteer training session scheduled for Sunday, September 23rd.

This training course is being held in conjunction with the Starke County COAD’s efforts to form a local Disaster Action Team. The course will be held at the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Knox. Prospective volunteers should show up around noon CST. Continue reading

North Judson Town Council Decides on Company to Create Official Website

Picture Source: Town of North Judson FB Page

North Judson Town Council members took a major step toward getting an official town website using wordpress hosting when they met this week.

Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe told council members on Tuesday that he’s been having conversations with Brian Pinson from SpiderByte IT about the costs associated with such a project. Continue reading

Street Print Project Delay Addressed at Knox City Council Meeting

A portion of the street print project in Knox will be done this year, but officials will have to wait a bit longer before the city’s emblem is added.

Back in June, city council members cast a unanimous vote to move forward with a project that would allow the company Ennis-Flint to install a street print of the city’s logo and designed crosswalks at the intersection of Lake and Main streets.

At last Tuesday’s Knox City Council meeting, Councilwoman Bertha Blue asked when the project would commence. Continue reading

September is National Recovery Month

September is recognized as National Recovery Month. It’s a time where we come together to congratulate those who have overcome their addictions and to recognize the achievements of people currently working toward sobriety. It’s also meant to promote the societal benefits of prevention, treatment and recovery for substance use and mental health disorders.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) with the United States Department of Health and Human Services is behind this initiative. Continue reading

More Renovation Work Needed Before the Knox Redevelopment Pilot Program Can Start

Some more work still needs to be done to the building at 10 South Main Street before the Knox Redevelopment Pilot Program can get off the ground.

Mayor Dennis Estok announced at last week’s city council meeting that things are getting close but they’re not quite there yet. Estok told members, “There’s a possibility that it will be in good enough shape in probably about a month to start advertising that pilot program.” Continue reading

Organization Representatives Encouraged to Attend Tonight’s Starke County COAD Meeting

The Starke County Community Organizations Active in Disasters (COAD) will meet tonight at 6 p.m. where members will continue to discuss the development of a board.

Though Starke County EMA Director J. Nier has helped form the COAD by reaching out to some key people in the community, the organization is meant to be run by community members. Continue reading

North Judson Town Council Meets Tonight

Discussions over the potential installation of a splash pad at Norwayne Field will continue during tonight’s North Judson Town Council meeting.

Vortex Splash Pad Expert Bill Smith will return to continue talking about the various design options available as well as particular costs savings efforts that will help ensure that the water feature will be financially feasible for the community. Continue reading

Prices at the Pump are the Highest They’ve Been Since 2014

Motorists traveling over the Labor Day weekend can expect to see an average of $2.84 per gallon of gasoline. That’s a 20 cent increase from Labor Day 2017.

According to a news release from Gas Buddy, consumers have seen the most expensive summer at the pump since 2014, with an average of $2.73 per gallon thus far. On average, motorists have shelled of more than $1.11 billion per day on gasoline purchases this season, up from a decade low of $912 million per day in the summer of 2016. Continue reading

The City of Knox is Cracking Down on Vehicles Zooming through School Zones

Knox City officials have noticed an excessive amount of drivers ignoring the speed limits posted around the schools and they’re preparing to crack down on the problem.

 

In his report during Tuesday’s city council meeting, Mayor Dennis Estok addressed the issue. He explained that students aren’t the only offenders. Apparently, some bus drivers, parents and other adult motorists are also guilty of traveling too fast in the area. Continue reading

Splash Pad Talks Continue in North Judson

A representative from Vortex Aquatic Structures came before the North Judson Town Council last week to provide them with a bit more information about the Splash Pad that’s being considered for Norwayne Field.

Vortex Splash Pad Expert Bill Smith talked with the council and stressed the fact that their goal is to build a feature that fits the town’s needs. To address concerns with water usage, Smith noted that play value isn’t dependent on using a lot of water.

To drive that point home, Smith said he likes to use a garden hose as an example. Continue reading