Calls for reduced test times have prompted the Indiana Department of Education to issue guidance eliminating certain questions from the ISTEP test.
The reductions come shortly after new rules were adopted by the Indiana General Assembly. Those alterations, however, come close to the actual testing dates.
Continue reading
WorkOne in Plymouth is working to get veterans the services they need to find work and transition back to civilian life.
Interest is being gathered to help host the seminar in the area. According to a press release, WorkOne is hoping to help veterans cope with change, resume preparation, and networking.
Continue reading
The Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry will be able to assist even more families in need, thanks to a timely contribution. Ed and Deb Troike were selected as the Starke County winners in the Monsanto Foundation’s America’s Farmers Grow Communities program. As the winners, they chose the organization to receive a $2,500 donation from America’s Farmers Grow Communities and the Monsanto Fund. Continue reading
The Oregon-Davis School Corporation will have a new look on the World Wide Web.
A launch date for an updated website has not yet been determined, but the school board reviewed the design and content during Wednesday night’s meeting.
Continue reading
The long-awaited repairs at the Pulaski County Justice Center are nearly complete.
Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston told the commissioners this week that the water softeners and the water heaters are installed, and all of the old units have been hauled away. Johnston said the HVAC systems should arrive this week or next week. He will coordinate with offices in the justice center for that equipment to be properly installed. The new control system will be added after that, but Johnston said that could be a while yet.
There have been discussions on how to improve the property for the Marshall County 4-H program, and now a professional firm will step up and help.
While long-range plans have been discussed individually with the Marshall County Fair Board, there needs to be a focus of the board. Principal Architect Stephen Kromkowski from the DLZ Corporation in South Bend explained what would be in the feasibility study.
“We would meet with the primary users and understand your current operation and the site,” said Kromkowski. “There have been some discussions about some improvements on the fairgrounds itself. We’ll gather all of the information, so we understand what your needs are. We will document what you have now. We also do a site analysis to make sure that you don’t place a new building on an area that will cause some other difficulties down the road.”
A report will be produced to decide what the improvements can be and dollar amounts for those improvements. A priority list will be provided as Kromkowski said the improvements will most likely cost more than what funds are available.
Fair Board President Tammy Dickson said the board and others are excited to have a professional direction of how to improve the grounds for the successful program.
“The Marshall County program is a hugely successful program,” commented Dickson. “I know at the fair itself the judges come from all over and comment on the quality and level that Marshall County and it is very commendable. We want to continue to grow that program.”
Sponsors have donated money toward improvements, but an agreement couldn’t be reached on projects, but that is about to change.
Kromkowski commented that the report would take about 14 weeks to complete.
County Attorney Jim Clevenger suggested an inter-local agreement between DLZ and the county on behalf of the fair board be signed. The Commissioners approved funding for the study with the understanding that the fair board will need to follow through with the plan.
The cold weather may be to blame for the death of a woman in LaPorte County. Sheriff’s deputies there were dispatched to an address in the 3500 East block of State Road 4 around 10 a.m. Continue reading
A wind chill advisory remains in effect for the Kankakee Valley until 11 Eastern, 10 Central. Dangerous wind chills of between 10 and 25 below zero are expected due to a combination of very cold air and strong winds. Bundle up if you do go out, as hypothermia can occur quickly. Area schools have delayed the start of classes this morning as a result of the cold temperatures. Find a complete list at http://www.wkvi.com/closings-and-delays/
The trial for a Knox man accused of beating his wife to death at their rural California Township home, kidnapping an employee from the Mark Bailey’s parking lot, stealing a second car in English Lake and leading authorities on a high-speed chase through four counties last June is still on schedule to start in April. Continue reading
First FEMA, and now the Indiana Department of Homeland Security is advising against being out in the bitter cold.
Wind Chill readings were expected to be in the double-digits below zero. Cold weather moved into the area yesterday, but will continue through midday. Wind gusts may not be helping matters, but the IDHS says they are urging residents to take precautions against the cold.
Continue reading
The final pretrial conference for a Denham man who is accused of killing his live-in girlfriend is scheduled April 9 in Pulaski Circuit Court. Paul Katschke is charged with murder in connection with the Aug. 11 death of Amber Renee Taylor, 34. Pulaski County Sheriff’s Deputies and first responders found her dead at the couple’s home after receiving a 911 call about a dead, 30-something-year-old woman. Continue reading
The North Judson-San Pierre School Board transferred a few dollars in their fiscal year budget on Tuesday night.
According to the discussion, certain dollar figures were reallocated to help with the school corporation’s operating.
Continue reading
A rescheduled meeting did nothing to quell the debate among board members of the Oregon-Davis School District.
The group, like many other school corporations, considered a balanced calendar proposal that would put their class days more in line with area vocational schools and other school corporations.
Continue reading
Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler’s request to reorganize the wage scale for truck drivers is on hold for right now. He presented the concept to the county council Monday evening as a way to level the playing field between new hires and experienced employees who have worked for the county for several years. Continue reading
A random drug test recently done on work release inmates at the Pulaski County Jail found positive results on five out of the six tested, according to Sheriff Jeff Richwine, who reported that to the commissioners this week.
“The stuff that’s getting in the back of that jail is getting there two ways: work release or employees. This time it was work release. None of it got back, but these guys, when they were at work, were taking drugs,” said Sheriff Richwine.
Plymouth Airport Manager Dave Lattimer presented the Marshall County Commissioners with the board’s comprehensive plan this week.
One of the projects that the board is anticipating is the widening of the runway, which Lattimer says is set to begin in the next several months.
“That involves widening our runway from 60 feet to 75 feet and rebuilding 4,400 feet of pavement,” Lattimer explained. “The next phase is to lengthen the runway. The magic number for an airport our size is 75 feet wide and 5,000 feet long.”
A Grovertown couple who was ordered to remove an improperly placed structure from their property are suing the county for damages as a result of their ordeal. Walter and Julia Ford’s lawsuit names former Starke County Building Commissioner Bruce Williams, the Starke County Board of Commissioners and Board of Zoning Appeals of Starke County as defendants. Continue reading
A Knox man who pleaded guilty to burglary in connection with a break-in at a friend’s home last January was sentenced to 10 years in prison for that offense with none of that sentence suspended. Glenn Manns, 29, was also ordered to pay $250 in restitution to Arthur Norem, Jr. Court documents indicate Manns and James Royce stole copper, automobile parts, shotguns, a rifle, bows, knives and other items from Norem’s home. Royce has already been sentenced to 20 years in the Department of Corrections. Continue reading
A Walkerton man will serve a total of 30 months on home detention through Starke County Community Corrections after pleading guilty to domestic battery and invasion of privacy charges. Starke Circuit Judge Kim Hall also ordered Mitchell Platz, 29, not to have contact with his victim for 42 months and to complete counseling. Continue reading
State Senator Ed Charbonneau has introduced three bills in the Indiana Senate and hopes all three will play a role in improving ethics in Indianapolis.
According to a press release from Charbonneau’s offices, the bills authored by the Valparaiso Republican will promote stronger ethics by ensuring a quicker recovery for misappropriated funds, providing protections for whistleblowers, and giving greater options for filling clerk-treasurer seats at the local level.
Continue reading
