As temperatures continue to fall, anglers of all ages may find themselves with the opportunity to ice-fish.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources says thousands of Hoosiers go ice-fishing each year and are offering some tips to ensure safety.
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Marshall County is now under an orange level travel watch. That means only essential travel is recommended. Starke, LaPorte and Pulaski Counties are still under yellow level travel advisories, meaning routine travel may be restricted because roads are hazardous in places. Find more information at http://www.in.gov/dhs/traveladvisory/. Continue reading
Winter has finally arrived, and it is keeping the Starke County Highway Department extremely busy. Crews have been spreading salt and plowing roads for the past week. In spite of the uptick in activity, highway superintendent Rik Ritzler says the county’s snow removal costs remain significantly lower than last year’s at the same time. He told the commissioners yesterday the department is still working on its first load of salt and has only used 200 tons. By this time last year, Ritzler says they had already used more than 1,000 tons of salt. Continue reading
The lower price of unleaded gasoline has relieved a pinch from consumer pocketbooks, but some retailers have dropped the price too low for a profit margin. GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan said that has caused prices to spike.
“What you’re seeing with the big spike is essentially gas stations losing 20 or 25 cents a gallon and raising their price back up to where they’re making about 15 or 20 cents a gallon. Obviously, you have a 40 cent a gallon difference between a station losing 20 cents and making 20 cents and that’s where these big spikes come from. The good news is that prices are already coming back down,” said DeHaan.
Legislation was recently filed in Indianapolis that could have implications for Pulaski County.
Senate Bill 58, if signed into law, would eliminate the Pulaski County Superior Court by January 1st, 2019. The bill would also remove certain appointment privileges in other counties. Continue reading
Bids for the courtroom build-out at the Starke County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center are under advisement. The county commissioners opened eight bids for general trades and four each for mechanical and electrical work. The project design engineer is reviewing all to make sure they meet specifications prior to a special-called Starke County Building Corporation meeting on Monday, Jan. 19. The building corporation will make formal recommendations to the Starke County Commissioners, who are also scheduled to meet that evening. Continue reading
NIPSCO says they will begin construction this summer on a project that has been in the works for a couple of years.
The Reynolds-Topeka Electric Transmission Line hopes to improve reliability and lower costs for NIPSCO customers. Representatives of the company have held meetings with the public to better plan the line’s route.
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Concentrating on a two-year state budget in Indiana will be the primary focus in Indianapolis, but state Senate Democrats have a few items they plan to support this session.
According to a press release, 8th District state Senator Jim Arnold and other state Democrats intend to propose raising the minimum wage in Indiana to $10.10 an hour.
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A South Bend man with a lengthy criminal history can add another sentence to his record. Tony Glover Jr., 29, pleaded guilty to a felony and a misdemeanor theft charge during an appearance in Starke Circuit Court yesterday. Both offenses occurred in September, according to court records. Glover admitted stealing electronics and knives from his mother and stepfather on Sept. 17 with intent to pawn them. Earlier that day he also stole power tools, clothing and other items valued at $886 from two Knox men. Continue reading
A disabled or stranded vehicle could potentially be a life or death situation due to cold temperatures and extended response times for police and tow truck drivers. If you do venture out, let someone know your route of travel, and keep your gas tank full when driving in cold weather. Pack a winter survival kit of blankets, extra warm clothes, a flashlight and extra batteries, a brightly-colored cloth to tie on your antenna for visibility, sand or a bag of cat litter to use for traction, a shovel, candles and matches, non-perishable, high-calorie foods like nuts, raisins and protein or energy bars, newspapers for insulation, a first aid kit and jumper cables. Continue reading
The Town of Winamac has issued a freeze warning for municipal utility customers. All residential and commercial water and sewer customers are recommended to leave an indoor cold water faucet running in a stream the size of a toothpick until further notice. Continue reading
The jury trial for a Denham man accused of killing his live-in girlfriend has been pushed back until spring. Pulaski Circuit Judge Michael Shurn set Paul Katschke’s proceeding for May 4. Continue reading
20th District State Representative Tom Dermody says he is still evaluating a bill that could affect consumers in Indiana.
House Bill 1026 would allow for those with a proper permit to sell alcoholic beverages for carryout on Sundays in the state. The bill, filed this week in Indianapolis, has not been presented to Representative Dermody – who chairs the often controversial Public Policy Committee.
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The Indiana General Assembly is anticipated to consider certain reforms to funding education, and Knox Community Schools is considering their options.
Governor Mike Pence has said he wants the legislative session that started Tuesday to be an “education session.” Discussions have included lifting the cap on education vouchers and reforming the school funding formula.
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U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly reintroduced legislation yesterday that could redefine a section of the Affordable Care Act.
Donnelly, along with Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Arkansas, introduced language that would change the current definition of full-time employee to a 40-hour work week.
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Police in Winamac can expand their living arrangements to the adjacent counties.
On Monday, the Winamac Town Board considered, and approved, a measure making the change. Previously, Winamac Police were required to live in Pulaski County. The move follows a review of the previous policy by the Board.
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The Starke County Park Board is fully populated once again. Judicial appointee Mike Meadows was appointed to a three-year term on the panel but resigned last month. Starke Circuit Judge Kim Hall recently appointed Roger Chaffins to the park board. He will serve a three-year term. The board is charged with oversight of non-municipal recreational lands, including the Bass Lake Beach and Campground and the Starke County Forest. They meet the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Starke County Annex building.
NIPSCO warns customers of a scam involving bill payments. Impersonators claiming to be NIPSCO employees call customers, tell them their bills are delinquent and request immediate payment to avoid a service disconnection.
Never give personal information, including Social Security numbers and banking information, to unconfirmed sources. NIPSCO only asks for a Social Security number when a customer is applying for new service or to validate an account holder when a customer calls to obtain account information, complete a transaction or service-related request over the phone. Continue reading
The Starke County Commissioners will reorganize and make annual appointments during their first meeting of the year this morning. The agenda for the 10 a.m. session also includes a report on jail operations from Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin, reports from Starke County EMS and the Starke County Highway Department and discussion of a vehicle for Starke County Coroner Adam Gray. Elisabeth Smith from Purdue Extension will discuss the office contract, and Ron Gifford from the Starke County Economic Development Foundation will share information about the College Success Coalition Program. Other business includes discussion of the county food inspector contract and a report from Starke County Council President Dave Pearman on the Indiana Bicentennial Committee. Continue reading
Clerk’s offices are accepting candidacy filings for this year’s municipal election.
The offices up for election in the Town of Winamac include clerk-treasurer, and town council seats in District 1, District 2 and District 3. The clerk-treasurer will also be elected for the towns of Francesville, Medaryville and Monterey. Three town council seats will be voted on in those three towns as well as at-large seats.
