Pulaski County’s fiscal planning process is taking a bit longer than expected. Back in October, fiscal planning consultant Jeffrey Peters said he planned to have the plan done by mid-December. But during last week’s county council meeting, county officials said they still hadn’t gotten any results.
Continue readingTown of Hamlet Seeking Bids for Updated Railroad Street Project
Plans for Hamlet’s Railroad Street project appear to be back on track. The town council Wednesday directed Engineer Lee Nagai to seek updated bids for the work, as part of a planned Community Crossings project. Council members decided to remove sidewalk improvements from the project scope, but keep in a possible storm drain extension as a potential option.
Continue readingPlanning Underway for Bridge Replacement on Pulaski County Road 400 East
The 60-year-old bridge on Pulaski County Road 400 East over Mill Creek is set to be replaced. The county commissioners Tuesday approved contracts to allow Jeff Larrison with United Consulting to begin working on the design. “We’ve been looking at this since August of 2017,” Larrison told the commissioners. “This bridge is way up on your priority list.”
Continue readingPulaski County Maintenance Director Resigns
Pulaski County is looking for a new maintenance director. Jeff Johnston stepped down from the position last Friday to take another job elsewhere, according to the county commissioners.
Continue readingProposed Salary Change for Victim’s Assistance Coordinator Draws Concerns from Pulaski Council
The Pulaski County Council wants more information before agreeing to a salary change for the victim’s assistance coordinator. During last week’s meeting, Prosecutor Dan Murphy explained that the position is funded primarily by federal grant money distributed by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
Continue readingStarke, Pulaski Counties See Increase in Unemployment Rates
Unemployment rates are up in Starke and Pulaski counties. Starke County saw a 4.6-percent unemployment rate in December, according to the latest report from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. That’s an increase of four-tenths of a percent from the month before and half a percent from December of 2017.
Continue readingPulaski County Council Approves Tax Abatements for JSI Steel
JSI Steel near Winamac is moving ahead with expansion plans, with some tax incentives from Pulaski County. A set of tax abatements for real and personal property was finalized by the county council last week.
Continue readingEastern Pulaski School Board Gets Update on Elementary School Special Education Program
Eastern Pulaski Elementary School’s special education teachers are working on ways to integrate students into their regular classrooms, while making sure they get the help they need.
Continue readingAmbulance Bids, Bridge Contract to be Discussed During Pulaski County Commissioners Meeting
Ambulance bids are expected to be discussed during this morning’s Pulaski County Commissioners meeting. The EMS Department had planned to purchase a truck this year. County officials have also been exploring the possibility of renting an ambulance or using a lease purchase agreement to spread out the payments.
Continue readingPulaski County Council Removes Probationary Pay Level for New Hires
The Pulaski County Council is streamlining the county’s salary matrix. Last week, council members approved a revision that does away with a probationary pay level for new employees.
Continue readingNew and Returning Eastern Pulaski School Board Members Take Oath of Office
The Eastern Pulaski School Board welcomed a new member last week. Aaron Campbell took the oath of office at the start of last week’s meeting, along with recently-reelected members Joe Cunningham and Tim Rausch.
Continue readingPulaski County Council Approves Tax Abatements for IBC Thermoplastics
The manufacturer moving into the old Anvil & Saw property on Pulaski County Road 200 South has got a second financial incentive from the county this week.
The county council approved real and personal property tax abatements, related to IBC Thermoplastics.
Continue readingFour County Counseling CEO Highlights Partnerships with Pulaski Memorial Hospital, BraunAbility
An update on local mental health care initiatives was given to the Pulaski County Commissioners last week.
During her annual report, Four County Counseling Center CEO Dr. Carrie Cadwell said the organization is partnering with Pulaski Memorial Hospital on a number of grant-funded projects.
Continue readingKnox School Board Elects New President for 2019
Three recently-reelected Knox School Board members were sworn in for another term Tuesday.
Continue readingEastern Pulaski Paving Project Problems to be Assessed by Contractors
Just a few months after a major paving project at the Eastern Pulaski Schools campus, some of the asphalt is already starting to crack.
Continue reading‘Save the Pulaski County Courthouse Group’ Offers Safety, Security Recommendations
As Pulaski County officials consider long-term facilities plans, the Save the Courthouse group has come up with some recommendations to address safety and security concerns in the meantime. A list of two proposed solutions was presented to the county council Monday. One involves locking all the doors except for one set, and creating a single point of entry staffed by an officer.
Continue readingPulaski County Sheriff Reviews His Department’s 2018 Statistics
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department had a busy year in 2018. Sheriff Jeff Richwine reviewed some of the annual statistics with the county commissioners last week. “As you can see, the 911 Center, we had 3,521 911 calls, 51,810 administrative calls, for a total of 55,331 calls for the year 2018,” he said.
Continue readingEastern Pulaski School Board Decides to Keep Using Attorney Only On As-Needed Basis
The Eastern Pulaski School Board has decided to continue using the services of attorney Tim Murray on an as-needed basis. He was officially reappointed as board attorney Monday.
Continue readingKnox Community Schools Accounts Earned Over $121,000 in Interest in 2018
The Knox Community School Corporation made more than $121,000 in interest off of its cash reserves in 2018. Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart gave the annual investment report to the board of finance Tuesday. “On our checking account like the checking accounts for personal use through the calendar year 2018, we’ve received $116,139.16 in interest, which is awesome,” he said, “because a few years ago, we were getting nothing, almost, out of that.”
Continue readingMarshall County Grand Jury to Investigate Eastern Pulaski School Bus Crash
Whether or not there will be criminal charges stemming from last month’s fatal crash involving an Eastern Pulaski school bus will depend on input from a Marshall County grand jury. Owen Abbott, 13, was killed, when the school bus he was riding on was reportedly struck from behind, by a truck driven by Tylor Perry.
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