All posts by Michael Gallenberger

Pulaski Commissioners to Open Health Insurance Bids, Appoint Maintenance Director and Head Custodian

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

The Pulaski County Commissioners hope to finalize their maintenance director and head custodian appointments during a special meeting tonight. The commissioners named their selections earlier this month. But they were unable to start, since the county council wanted more information on costs before finalizing the Maintenance Department restructuring and setting pay rates. In the end, the council agreed to set the hourly pay rates at $23.50 for the maintenance director and $16 for the head custodian.

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Pulaski County Awarded $52,000 JDAI Grant

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

Pulaski County has gotten funding to continue its Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative programs. Pulaski Circuit Court recently got a $52,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Correction, according to JDAI Coordinator Dr. Natalie Tucker. She says in a press release that over $40,000 is being used for youth mentoring and truancy programs at both Winamac and West Central high schools.

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Local Students Get Next Generation Hoosier Educator Scholarships

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

Two hundred future Indiana teachers will get some help paying for college. The Next Generation Hoosier Educators scholarship provides up to $7,500 a year for students who commit to teaching in Indiana for at least five years after graduation. Among the recipients locally were Melaina Adcock and Preston Minix of Knox High School, Emma Shireman of North Judson-San Pierre High School, Jaxzee Marks of South Central High School, and Brenna Mckay and Lily Williams of West Central High School.

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More Donations Received for Memorial Swinging Bridge Project

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger
Rendering of proposed “swinging bridge” lighting feature (from MemorialSwingingBridge.com)

Winamac’s Memorial Swinging Bridge Project has gotten another round of donations. Project organizers say Mill Creek Gardens recently donated $2,000 toward the decorative lighting feature, while Sue Haselby donated $1,000 in memory of her husband Brian (Fred) Haselby and his parents, Sam and Babe Haselby. The Monterey American Legion post recently chipped in $1,000, according to project organizer Greg Henry.

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Pulaski County Sheriff Presents Case for Higher Wages to County Council

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger
Sheriff Jeff Richwine speaks with the county council at its May 10 meeting.

Pulaski County Sheriff Jeff Richwine continued pleading his case for higher wages last week. “Our people are the lowest paid in every category with dispatch, jail, and the deputies, except the jail staff and our dispatchers make more than Cass County,” Richwine told the county council. “The deputies are at the bottom. The dispatch and the jailers are next to the bottom.”

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New State Budget Directs Schools to Raise Teacher Pay

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, State Sen. Eddie Melton, and State Sen. Mike Bohacek take part in the Northwest Indiana Forum’s legislative wrap-up panel in Merrillville last week.

Indiana teachers may be getting a pay raise in the coming years. During the Northwest Indiana Forum’s legislative wrap-up last week, Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch highlighted the $1.9 billion earmarked for K-12 education in the new state budget.

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Regional Leaders Gearing Up for READI Program

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

The race is on for regions to get their applications in for up to $50 million from the state’s new Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI). Indiana Economic Development Corporation Chief of Staff Luke Bosso told members of the Northwest Indiana Forum Wednesday that the hope was to make a bigger and better version of 2016’s Regional Cities Initiative.

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