Three members of a family with ties to North Judson are dead, after a Sunday night car crash in Michigan. WILX-TV says an SUV driven by Jose Angel Aguilera, 43, crashed head-on into an elementary school in Lansing. Police say Aguilera, his front-seat passenger Gardenia Herrera, 36, and Herrera’s 11-year-old daughter have all died from their injuries.
The Pulaski County Commissioners are recommending some additional language for the county’s proposed ban on wind turbines. On Monday, the commissioners voted to send a list of amendments to the advisory plan commission. It was drawn up for the commissioners by Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer.
Pulaski County will not be charging its residents a wheel tax in the near future. The issue was discussed during last week’s joint county council and commissioners meeting, after the Bureau of Motor Vehicles asked for an update.
Culver Community Middle/High School’s new secure entrance should be complete by the end of the month. Superintendent Karen Shuman gave the school board an update on the project Monday.
The Knox School Board will consider the addition of a school resource officer tonight. Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart and Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin have been discussing the idea for the past few months. Continue reading
Unemployment rates are largely unchanged in Starke and Pulaski counties. According to the latest report from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, Pulaski County’s unemployment rate dropped slightly to 3.3 percent last month. That’s a tenth of a percent lower than it was the month before and in July of 2017.
The Pulaski County Coroner’s Office’s new fees have been approved by the county council. Under the new arrangement, any additional copies of the coroner’s verdict, coroner’s report, and autopsy report will now cost $25 for the three-document package. A $25 disposition permit will also be charged before bodies may be released for cremation.
The Starke County Forest could soon host high school cross country meets. Starke County Park Board President Roger Chaffins brought up the idea during last week’s meeting, on behalf of board member Chris Lawrence, who was not in attendance. “He mentioned that we’d see if we’d be open to that,” Chaffins explained, “and if it would work, I don’t see why the schools couldn’t do something like that.”
Apparent vandalism at a Medaryville park facility ended up costing the town over $200. Clerk-Treasurer Judy Harwood says a sink in the women’s bathroom ended up having to be replaced. Last week, the town council approved the repair bill of $200.30.
The Pulaski County Commissioners will get updates from Sheriff Jeff Richwine and EMS Director Bryan Corn this morning. Highway Superintendent Terry Ruff is scheduled to discuss additional spending, while Charles Malinowski will talk about fuel tax reporting.
The Culver School Board will consider a corporation wage and salary schedule when it meets tonight. Board members will also review their schedule for putting together the 2019 budget. The list of extracurricular assignments for the 2018-2019 school year will be up for board approval, along with a revision to the school corporation’s eLearning policy.
The Starke County Forest will soon get a native plant garden. The recently-upgraded access road now ends at a circular parking loop, with an open space in the middle.
Making up shortfalls in the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department’s overtime budget was the goal of a couple budget transfers approved by the county council Monday.
More than $18,000 was moved from various line items, at the request of Sheriff Jeff Richwine. “These are all to cover overtime. Well, the part-time clerical’s not, but the other is overtime for deputies,” he explained. “And then one’s overtime for dispatchers.”
The Yellowstone Trail Festival continues today and tomorrow in Hamlet. Musical entertainment, circus performances, and a family magic show will be featured at the Starke County Fairgrounds.
The Town of Medaryville’s employee policies are getting a slight update, at the request of the town’s insurance provider. Clerk-Treasurer Judy Harwood says the policy book was just adopted by the town council last year. But since then, the insurance company has asked the town to make some minor language changes and add more information about who’s covered.
The Pulaski County Council decided Monday not to appropriate additional funds to pay part-time staff. Last month, Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Johnston asked council members for permission to spend another $30,000 for part-time help. At the time, he reminded them that money had been cut from the 2018 budget so the state would approve it, with the understanding that he could come back later to request enough for the rest of the year.
Preventing the erosion of the Bass Lake shoreline is the goal of a planned research effort. Resident Rick Anderson told the Starke County Park Board Tuesday that it’s a challenging issue, due to the lake’s big waves and hard winter ice, but there are a couple officials with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources who might have some ideas.
The Eastern Pulaski Community School Corporation is getting ready for the new school funding structure set to take effect in 2019. The school board adopted a resolution Monday to establish new Education and Operations funds, according to Superintendent Dan Foster.
Medaryville Police officers will be getting a raise. A salary ordinance amendment was approved by the town council Wednesday, according to Clerk-Treasurer Judy Harwood. It increases the police department’s hourly pay rate by two dollars.
A house fire in rural Medaryville has claimed a life. The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office says it happened Monday afternoon around 2:30, in the 9000 block of County Road 300 North. When Medaryville firefighters arrived, they reportedly found a deceased victim inside the home. The victim’s name has not yet been released. The Sheriff’s Office is helping with the investigation.
