Houston-based SYSCO Corporation still plans to build a regional hub in Hamlet, according to Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver. He told the county council he talks to SYSCO officials every two months.
“They say this is still part of their plan, as is the facility in Texas, but the people I talk to don’t have any idea when.”
A young man from Winamac has the blessing of the Pulaski County Commissioners to make his ambitious Eagle Scout project a reality. Clark Gudas wants to turn Rhinehart Park next to the Pulaski County Family YMCA into a skate park. He says it will give area youth a safe place to participate in activities like skateboarding, rollerblading and BMX biking.
A Hamlet man faces multiple drug charges in LaPorte after his arrest following a Monday morning traffic stop.
Officers from the LaPorte Police Department got a tip that a man in a white car in the 400 block of G Street was possibly using drugs. They responded at 8:41 a.m. and saw a white Pontiac Grand Am leaving the area. The car pulled across 4th Street in front of a vehicle that was northbound on I Street and nearly caused an accident, according to the police report.
The May 6 Primary Election is in less than two weeks. If you cannot make it to the polls on election day, you have the option of completing an absentee ballot.
Absentee voting in Starke County is available today through Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Starke County Courthouse will be open this Thursday night for absentee voting from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. CT. Evening hours will be available Tuesday, April 29 and Thursday, May 1 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Voting will take place on the second floor of the courthouse. So far, 245 absentee ballots have been filed in Starke County.
An area high school will soon be looking for a new principal.
“The Culver Citizen” reports Culver Community High School Principal Albert Hanselman is leaving at the end of the school year. He’s not going far, though. Hanselman will take over as director of the North Central Area Vocational Cooperative on July 1st. Jerry Hollenbaugh is retiring from that position.
Money is still available to help low income Pulaski County residents pay their winter heating bills.
The Energy Assistance Funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to households that have not applied for aid yet during this heating season.
Funding is limited, and applications are taken by appointment only at the Pulaski County Human Services office. Call 574-946-6500, email pulaskipchs@embarqmail.com or stop by the office at 115 W. Pearl St. in Winamac to schedule an appointment or to obtain additional information.
The Town of North Judson’s new maintenance building should be ready for occupancy within a month or so.
Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry tells WKVI news the exterior of the structure is finished, and the garage doors will be installed today. Town maintenance employees will then do the interior work.
The Town of Medaryville has a new council member. Clerk-Treasurer Judy Harwood swore Corrie Hauptli in this morning. She was appointed by the Pulaski County Democratic Party Chairman to replace longtime council president Gene Payne, who recently stepped down. Derrick Stalbaum was recently elected president and was present at the swearing-in ceremony. Carolyn Hagar will serve as vice-president. The appointment was made in accordance with state law. All three Medaryville council seats are up for reelection in 2015.
Starke County Council members want more information about proposed wheel tax rates, types of vehicles that would be taxed and how any funds generated would be used for road improvements before making any decision about implementing such a tax. County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler will chair a committee comprised of council members Marvin McLaughlin, Freddie Baker and Bob Sims and Commissioner Kathy Norem. After they discuss the details, a public input meeting will be scheduled to further explain the process. Ritzler has streamlined the highway department’s operations since taking over but says efficiency can only go so far. “Our limiting factor is the oil and stone that we use to improve roads. We have a certain amount of funding sources, we used them all. The only way of increasing is a user tax that is available to us, a user fee. 47 of the 92 counties in Indiana have it. Of the counties that don’t have it, many have an additional source of funding that’s not available to us, and that’s riverboat gambling money. We are in the bottom fifth of road conditions in the state,” Ritzler told the council. Continue reading
A Knox man is on a mission to establish an off-the-leash park in the city limits for dogs and their owners. Chuck Richardson has collected 100 or so signatures in support. “People have dogs, and they have to work. These dogs are left in apartments or houses all day long. When people come home, they need a place to take their dogs for exercise, where dogs can exercise and play and get acquainted with other dogs, and people can get acquainted with other people,” Richardson said.
Plymouth has a dog park, and Richardson has spoken extensively with officials there. He says such facilities offer several “Residents can gather and socialize, allow owners to observe their dog with other dogs, allow dogs a space to play and companionship with other dogs, promote responsible pet ownership, give dogs a place to exercise thus reducing barking and other problem behavior, and provide seniors and disabled owners an accessible place to exercise and have companionship.” Continue reading
Motorists traveling between Knox and Winamac on U.S. 35 can avoid taking the long way around during the next few weeks of road work. INDOT has closed the highway from 850 S. to the Starke/Pulaski County line in order to replace a culvert. The state’s marked detour sends drivers west on 10, south on 39 and back east on 14 because INDOT can only use roads maintained by the state to divert traffic. Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler says drivers heading south on 35 can turn left on 800 S., right on 600 East and right on 900 S. to get past the construction and back to U.S. 35. Northbound motorists can follow that route in reverse. Ritzler says those roads are paved and are more suited to heavy traffic. He says several drivers have used 850 S. and 400 E. to get around the construction. Those roads are gravel and are becoming rutted. The project should wrap up by the end of the month, weather permitting.
The Indiana State Police and the Drug Enforcement Agency will be collecting unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs at any state police post on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. The state police toll road post will not be able to accept these items.
A LaPorte man may face criminal charges after reportedly passing out in the front seat of his car in a restaurant parking lot after apparently overdosing. The police report indicates he had a metal spoon in his lap when first responders arrived at the Buffalo Wild Wings on Pine Lake Avenue. When officers from the LaPorte Police Department got there, he was reportedly conscious but unable to walk without assistance and was sweating heavily. The police report indicates he admitted to ingesting heroin before emergency personnel arrived. Police reportedly found several items of drug paraphernalia inside his car, which was seized as evidence. He was taking by ambulance to IU Health LaPorte Hospital. The LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office is considering charges.
The new Municipal Building in Walkerton is complete.
According to Walkerton Building Commissioner Phil Buckmaster, the building is situated at 301 Michigan Street and is twice the size of the old office building on Roosevelt Road. The building holds the offices of the clerk-treasurer and the economic development director as well as the town courtroom/city council meeting room and the police department.
Authorities in Marshall County believe speed and possibly alcohol were factors in a Saturday afternoon wreck that sent the driver and a front seat passenger to South Bend Memorial Hospital via helicopter. A 1995 Mercury driven by Nicholas Walker, 22, of Plymouth was northbound on Tulip Road from 9C road in Plymouth, lost control and hit a tree, according to a crash report from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office. Walker was pinned in the car but conscious when sheriff’s deputies arrived. A passenger, Matthew Gaines, was also in the vehicle and was in and out of consciousness, according to authorities. Both had to be cut from the wreckage. A young girl in the back seat was not hurt. A formal criminal case is being prepared and will be sent to the Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
Staff members from IU Health Starke Hospital visited the WKVI studios on Friday morning and one topic that General Surgeon Dr. Mangalore J. Subbarao discussed was the importance of the colonoscopy.
Dr. Subbarao said you can prevent colon cancer by getting this procedure.
“Colonoscopies are very important to prevent the cancer of the colon,” said Dr. Subbarao. “Colon cancer develops with the little growth called a polyp. If you remove the polyp, you have no colon cancer. If you don’t remove the polyp, it grows into a big cancer and it spreads. Then only do you have some symptoms.”
A Preschool Fair is set for Tuesday, April 29 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. CT at the Community Center in Knox.
Sarah Origer, Director of Development at the Starke County Community Foundation encourages all residents to attend for this information session.
“We hope that all Starke County preschools will be present,” said Origer. “It will also be an opportunity for parents and grandparents and children to come out and learn about a lot of the other enriching opportunities that exist in Starke County. Libraries will be present, Community Services of Starke County will also be there along with Healthlinc. Your child’s health is also incredibly important. It’ll just be a great opportunity.”
Gas prices spiked this week but according to Don Good from the Good Oil Company, we should be seeing lower prices for a gallon of gasoline soon.
Good said the recent spike has to do with the continuation of the fuel turnaround.
“Every time this time of the year rolls around they deplete the tanks to meet the new standards and that always creates – I’ll call it a ‘pricey opportunity’ for the speculators to buy product and then sell it at an increased cost so we always have some upward pressure this time when they go into turnaround, commented Good.”
With warmer temperatures finally entering the area and the itch to get your yard looking good for the season, you’ll want to be careful when hiring a contractor to take care of your lawn and garden.
The Better Business Bureau recommends that you make sure to shop around and get written estimates from three different companies before you settle on one price. The cheapest price isn’t always the best deal. Request a lawn inspection and get a free estimate.
It is also wise to obtain a written agreement once you’ve decided to move forward with a contractor. Document the duration and expected results of the lawn care service. Ask if the service is automatically renewed annually. If you choose a long-term contract, be sure to obtain information about cancellation rights.
Take time to understand the pricing, frequency of services and any guarantees. If the lawn contractor is not producing expected results, know what kind of recourse you can take.
The cost of plowing snow during the worst winter in nearly 40 years forced the Starke County Highway Department to dramatically scale back its road maintenance budget. However, Superintendent Rik Ritzler says they’re still moving forward with scheduled bridge replacements.
“The bridge replacement plan was not affected by winter operations,” Ritzler told the commissioners during their most recent meeting. “We have enough money in the CEDIT account both presently and budgeted if that’s not touched. If that’s touched, it will be jeopardized.”
