Pulaski County has a new clerk. JoLynn Behny was selected for the position during a Republican Party caucus Tuesday. “Thank you very much,” she told precinct committee members after her selection was announced. “I will do my best to live up to your expectations and support the Republican Party and push the county forward. Thank you very much.”
In the wake of the recent school bus accident, Eastern Pulaski School officials are working to see what lessons they can learn going forward.
No deal has been reached yet, but the Knox School Board has voted to move ahead with hiring a school resource officer. Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart told board members Tuesday that he needed their approval, so a memorandum of understanding could be signed, once it’s ready.
The Oregon-Davis School Corporation has updated its policies on bullying, dyslexia screening, and administrative leave, among others. Superintendent Dr. Don Harman says the school board approved a number of policies recommended by policy consultant NEOLA, during Monday’s meeting.
The Pulaski County Building Department is cleaning up its fee schedule. Building Inspector Doug Hoover told the county commissioners Monday that the current fee schedule is a big improvement from what was in place a few years ago, but it’s very lengthy.
Eastern Pulaski school officials expressed their grief and thanked the community for its support, during Monday’s school board meeting. It was the board’s first meeting since the bus accident that claimed the life of eighth grader Owen Abbott and left several others injured.
Six candidates are vying to become the next Pulaski County clerk. Republican precinct committee members will make a decision during a caucus this evening at 5:15 EST at the Pulaski County Public Library in Winamac.
A Knox gun shop plans to move to Star City, thanks to some financial help from Pulaski County. The county commissioners Monday approved a $19,500 revolving loan request from G&G Guns. “He has a purchase agreement on the former LightStream Bank building in Star City, moving the gun business from his storefront on U.S. 35 in Knox,” Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer explained. Continue reading
The Knox School Board will resume its discussion about hiring a school resource officer tonight. School officials have been working with the City of Knox on a potential funding agreement. Continue reading
The Pulaski County Council took action last week to make up a $20,000 shortfall in the county’s phone bill budget. Council members finalized a total of $16,350 in additional appropriations. $10,000 of that was for the telephone budget.
The Pulaski County Commissioners will once again consider repealing the county’s campaign sign regulations when they meet this morning. The commissioners and the advisory plan commission have been discussing removing the “special signs” portion of the county’s Unified Development Ordinance since April, since election board members felt there were already enough rules at the state and federal level.
A five-year strategic plan will be up for approval during tonight’s Eastern Pulaski School Board meeting. The proposed plan was presented to the school board last month. It includes a mission statement, beliefs, parameters, objectives, and strategies, to help guide the school corporation through 2023.
The Pulaski County Council has begun the process of making two sites eligible for tax abatements. Council members approved preliminary resolutions Monday designating the JSI Steel property and a piece of land near the intersection of U.S. 421 and State Road 14 as economic revitalization areas.
Confusion remains over how much money new Pulaski County Highway Department employees are supposed to make. Highway Superintendent Terry Ruff brought the question to the county council Monday. “We hired two new guys,” he explained. “What’s the deal on their pay? What do I tell them they’re getting paid right now? I don’t know if it’s $13.77. Is it for six months, a year? What are we doing?”
Culver’s golf cart ordinance may soon be getting some clarifications. An amended ordinance was presented for first reading during last week’s town council meeting, by Council President Ginny Bess Munroe. “Basically, nothing is changing,” she explained. “We are clarifying our ordinance because we find that when we try to enforce it, people don’t have an understanding of the fact that you shouldn’t have a four-year-old driving your golf cart. So we’ve added some language here, throughout this.”
The Town of Hamlet will soon be able to get to work on a comprehensive plan. The town council held a public hearing Wednesday on the funding arrangements.
The demolition of a Medaryville home as part of a blight elimination project continues to create headaches for Pulaski County Building Inspector Doug Hoover, a year after the house was torn down. “Everything was done, completed,” he told the county council Monday. “[Building Department Assistant] Karla [Kreamer] and I did everything we were supposed to do. About a week before the last date, the state comes in and says they wanted it cleaned up. It wasn’t to their specs. Six months I waited. They could have told me six months ago. Now I had to jump through hoops.”
Culver’s fire truck fundraiser may officially be over, but Fire Chief Terry Wakefield says donations continue trickling in. “Money keeps coming in,” he told the town council last week, “and hopefully it still does until we can get a number on this vehicle, to get it pegged down so everybody knows what’s going on.” Wakefield said that process was set to begin last week.
LaPorte County Police have released the name of the man killed in a single-vehicle crash on County Road 1000 North Tuesday afternoon. Brandon Michael Biolette, 18, of New Buffalo, Michigan, died of blunt force trauma, according to LaPorte County Coroner Bob Cutler.
