The Eastern Pulaski School Board will make some preparations for the 2018-2019 school year when it meets today. Board members are expected to set next year’s meal prices and textbook rental fees. Continue reading
All posts by Michael Gallenberger
Hamlet Council Considers Insurance Options for Underground Pipes
The Town of Hamlet may be looking to adjust its insurance policies, after the town ended up being on the hook for nearly $28,000 in repair bills for a January water main break.
Winamac Park Board President Calls for Repairs to Wellness Center Parking Lot
Concerns about the condition of the parking lot at the Community Wellness Center of Winamac and who’s responsible for maintaining it are being raised by the town’s park board president.
“I have never seen a more atrocious parking lot in my life, as that I see up there where the pool was at the Wellness Center right now,” Park Board President Courtney Poor said during last week’s meeting. “And I am telling you that I will be going to the board meeting on the 14th and getting myself on the agenda, to tell the town board exactly that, as a concerned citizen.”
Pulaski County Commissioners Approve $34,000 Medicare Repayment
Pulaski County has agreed to repay over $34,000 to Medicare, following an audit of potential over-payments to the county’s EMS department. However, that’s a lot lower than what county officials initially thought it would be, according to County Attorney Kevin Tankersley.
Pulaski County Highway Department May Pay More to Hire Outside Company for Asset Management Plan
The Pulaski County Highway Department is looking to hire an outside company to put together its asset management plan. The work was previously done by the Highway Department’s secretary, but the extra $2,500 she received for those duties was apparently cut from the department’s budget.
Opportunity Zone Program Discussed with Hamlet Town Council
Local officials hope an Opportunity Zone designation could bring benefits to the Town of Hamlet. The census tract containing Hamlet was recently nominated for the federal program by Governor Eric Holcomb.
Winamac Park Board Considers Insurance Requirements for Sports Leagues
Winamac may be getting a new adult softball league, but the idea has led to larger questions about insurance requirements. Park Manager Dave DeLorenzo told the park board last week that he’s heard from someone who’s interested in using the large softball diamond for an over-18, coed league. DeLorenzo was told that almost 60 people have expressed interest.
Four Accused of Failure to Report Child Abuse Have Charges Dismissed, Due to ‘Administrative Problem’
Four defendants in a 2016 Pulaski County child abuse case have had their charges dismissed, due to what prosecutors are calling an administrative problem. On December 14, 2016, sheriff’s deputies reportedly found a three-year-old girl locked inside a plywood box in the living room of a home near Denham. Several adults in and around the home were taken into custody.
Pulaski Commissioners Agree to Consider Issuing Permits to Allow Trucks on Certain County Roads
Whether or not trucks should be allowed to use county roads to bypass a closed portion of U.S. 421 near Medaryville was debated by the Pulaski County Commissioners Monday. The concern was brought forward by trucking company owner Brad Craig.
Hamlet Council Updated on Starke Street Projects
Hamlet officials are still waiting for work to begin on the Starke Street rehabilitation project. As the first step, the town has been working with Starke County Surveyor Bill Crase to extend the culvert at Benninghoff Ditch.
Winamac Park Board to Research Possible Upgrades to Swinging Bridge
The Winamac Park Board wants to do some more research on possible upgrades to the “swinging bridge,” before looking for volunteers to help with the effort. The Town Park’s Memorial Bridge will be 100 years old in 2023. To celebrate the upcoming centennial, residents have proposed adding some sort of decorative lighting feature, as well as painting the bridge.
Welker Wins Republican Nomination for Pulaski Circuit Judge
A tight race for circuit court judge was one of the big attractions in Pulaski County’s Primary Election Tuesday. Mary Welker narrowly beat Tim Murray for the Republican Party nomination, with 50.6 percent of the vote over Murray’s 49.4 percent. That was a margin of just 22 votes.
Pulaski County Receives Indiana Department of Correction Grant for Pretrial Program
Pulaski County has been awarded nearly $56,000 from the Indiana Department of Correction, to help launch a pretrial release program. Superior Court Judge Crystal Brucker Kocher told the county commissioners Monday that counties are required to have pretrial programs in place by 2020. Continue reading
Winamac Park Board Accepts Donation of Decorative Drinking Fountain
A heavily-used drinking fountain in the Winamac Town Park will be getting an upgrade, thanks to a memorial contribution from a local resident. Park board member Jon Chapman brought the proposal to the rest of the board members last week. “I’ve been contacted by a citizen who would like to donate a fountain like the fountain that’s found between the swinging bridge and the restrooms — it’s a stone exterior fountain — as a memorial to her son and husband,” Chapman explained.
Hundreds Vote Early, Ahead of Today’s Primary
Voters across Indiana head to the polls today, but hundreds of Starke and Pulaski county voters cast their ballots early. The Starke County Clerk’s Office reports that 697 in-person absentee ballots were cast ahead of today’s Primary Election. Another 100 Starke County residents voted by mail, while 33 voted by travel board. Pulaski County saw 485 in-person absentee ballots, 37 mail-in ballots, and 35 travel board ballots, according to Clerk Christi Hoffa.
Pulaski County Commissioners Vote to Repeal County’s Campaign Sign Rules
The Pulaski County Commissioners have agreed that the county’s rules on campaign signs should be repealed. They voted Monday to remove the section of the county’s Unified Development Ordinance that deals with “special signs.”
Winamac Park Board Continues to Debate Pickleball Expansion
The Winamac Park Board still isn’t ready to install new pickleball courts in the Town Park, but a decision about whether the project should move ahead will come next month. The park board has discussed converting the remaining tennis court into two additional pickleball courts, to handle growing demand. Meanwhile, a new tennis court could be built east of the current one, but such a project could come at a significant cost.
LaPorte County Police Investigate Weekend Drowning
Police say a LaPorte County man drowned Saturday afternoon, in a pond in the 7100 block of West Joliet Road. The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office says Glenn F. Zeman, 61, had been out on the pond in a watercraft. But then family members who’d been there with him said they couldn’t find him. Police say the watercraft Zeman had been riding was then found capsized, and his body was pulled from the water a short time later.
Primary Elections Tomorrow
Polls will be open tomorrow from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time for the 2018 Primary Elections. One of the items to watch in Starke County will be the Oregon-Davis school referendum. If approved, the measure would add a property tax of up to 29 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for an eight-year period. It would replace a 19-cent tax that’s currently in place.
Campaign Signs, Asset Management Plan to be Discussed during Pulaski Commissioners Meeting
A proposal to repeal Pulaski County’s regulations on campaign signs will be brought to the county commissioners tonight. The Pulaski County Election Board has been leading efforts to remove the section of the county’s Unified Development Ordinance dealing with “special signs.” Election board members feel there are already enough rules at the state and federal levels to regulate campaign signs, without additional zoning restrictions.
