Marijuana Dealing Suspects Appear in Court

Bobby Joe Warren
Bobby Joe Warren, Sr.
Karen Warren
Karen Warren
Bobby-Joe-Warren-II
Bobby Joe Warren, Jr.

 

Bobby Warren, Sr. Bobby Warren, Jr. and Karen Warren appeared in Pulaski Superior Court on Thursday where a not guilty plea was entered for the trio.

They were arrested this week after Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department officers and the Indiana State Police Emergency Team executed a search warrant at 15706 E. County Road 200 North in Medaryville. During the search of the residence, officers found items commonly used in the manufacturing and cultivating of marijuana, according to a news release. Illegal narcotics, paraphernalia, and firearms were also recovered.

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Culver Wind Ordinance Tabled Amid Uncertain Language

culver town hall
 

The matter was heard on first reading when they last met, but the Culver Town Council ran into additional problems with their wind energy ordinance when it came back for a vote.

The Town has been working to craft an amendment to the zoning ordinance focusing on Wind Energy Conversion Systems for some time. The proposal has run into problems with residents on a consistent basis.
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Knox City Council Reviews Facility Expenses

Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center
Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center

Knox Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston gave the city council an update on the income and expenses at the girl scout cabin, the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center and the Gateway property.

The Gateway gathers income from the Starke County Chamber of Commerce, Starke County Tourism Commission, Starke County Economic Development Foundation, and the city. The fund stayed in the black in 2014. The girl scout cabin revenue was less than $100 short of the fund balance.

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Pulaski County Council Approves Advertisement for Surveyor Budget Appropriation

 The Pulaski County Council added a line item in the surveyor’s budget in order to finance attorney services and engineering costs.

In a joint session with the commissioners, it was explained that the attorney is doing extra litigation work that would need additional compensation to complete. Tim Murray is the attorney for the surveyor’s office.

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LaPorte Criminal Justice Students Eligible for Scholarship

 
 

A scholarship will be offered to a LaPorte County student planning to study criminal justice. The scholarship is in honor of the memory of Patrolman Neil Thompson. Thompson is the only LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department officer killed in the line of duty.

A fund was established, and a scholarship created to honor fallen policeman. The $1,000 scholarship had been awarded to family members of the sheriff’s department, but Sheriff John Boyd is opening up the opportunity to students outside the department.

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IDEM Offers Free Earth Day Presentations For Schools

IDEM-logo_rgbresizeHoosier schools can celebrate Earth Day by scheduling a presenter from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to visit with their students. They will talk about their careers and share lessons about air, land and water quality. The interactive presentations are between 30 and 50 minutes long and include interactive activities like building an edible landfill or “Environmental Jeopardy.” They will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis from April 6-17. Each school may request up to four presentations. Continue reading

State Revenue Sources Fall Short, Wagering Beats Estimates

  
 

The state of Indiana has gained a bit of revenue for January compared to the previous year, but fell short of revised estimates.

According to the monthly revenue report from the State Budget Agency, General Fund revenues were $1.3-billion in January. That’s 2.4-percentage points above revenue collected for the same period last year. Those figures are still below estimates for the 2015 fiscal year published in December.
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Arrest Made in LaPorte Homicide

Jose A. Guido
Jose A. Guido

An arrest has been made in the stabbing death incident in LaPorte.

Jose Guido is being held in the LaPorte County Jail on a charge of murder. He is suspected of stabbing a man outside of a residence at 119 John Street in LaPorte.

Dispatchers received a phone call from a resident who had heard a woman screaming outside. The caller said blood was on the ground, according to a news release. When police arrived at the scene, officers found an adult Hispanic man laying on the ground at the location. The victim, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene by the LaPorte County Coroner.

Guido was taken in for questioning and was later charged with murder.

K9 Assisted Drug Investigation Leads to Two Arrests

Rob Olejniczak and "Terror"
Rob Olejniczak and “Terror”

A man and a woman face numerous drug charges after officers from the Hamlet Police Department and Starke County Sheriff’s Department reportedly found a one-pot meth lab and more inside their residence Wednesday afternoon. They were investigating a report of drug activity at the Hamlet Apartments at 205 South Main Street, according to officials with the Hamlet P.D. They say the residents agreed to a search of the apartment, and Starke County Sheriff’s Department K9 Terror indicated narcotics were present. The officers reportedly found a one-pot meth lab, methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, drug precursors and paraphernalia. Continue reading

Prosecuting Attorneys Support Amendment to Meth Bill

 
 

There is support for an amendment to a bill that would help prosecutors attack the epidemic of methamphetamine labs and the dangers that meth production impose on residents.

The amendment to Senate Bill 536 sponsored by Senator Brent Steele targets meth production by making ephedrine and pseudoephedrine schedule IV controlled substances. The pills would only be available by a doctor’s prescription.

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Miscalculated Funds in Contract Results in Additional Appropriation

 Pulaski County Attorney Kevin Tankersley explained a unique contract situation to the county council this week and requested an additional appropriation to cover the contract.

Four County Counseling informed the commissioners in the last part of 2014 that the county owes the company for ten years of miscalculated funds. The contract is mandated by the state. Even though Tankersley pointed out to their attorney the fact that the county signed an agreement with Four County Counseling for a specific annual amount for the past ten years, the company claims that the county owes them $16,117.38.

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Contract Approved for Fireworks Celebration

 The Knox City Council approved a contract for the annual Fourth of July Fireworks celebration at the Starke County Airport.

The celebration will be held on Friday, July 3. The contract with Mad Bomber is for $8,000 which is an increase of $200 from last year. The contract in 2013 was $7,500, so the price has steadily increased. The other contract terms are the same as in previous years.

A copy of the city’s insurance and the contractor’s insurance will be provided to the Starke County Aviation Board.

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Hamlet Town Board Opts to Let County Handle Election

Hamlet Town HallThe Hamlet Town Board determined at its recent meeting to continue to have the County Election Board conduct its November Town election. The town pays a fee for the service.

The continuing snow fall is keeping Street Department busy. Street Superintendent Fred Rowe reported that as of February 11th it had plowed the town’s streets 8 times, racking up a total of 92 miles. There was also discussion of relieving standing water and ice build up on several streets. Continue reading

Winamac Exploring Well Options

Winamac Town Hall
Winamac Town Hall

The Town of Winamac is in the process of finding additional water resources.

The Town’s current water well was accessed in the 1920’s at two different points. During Monday night’s Town Council meeting, members discussed the possibility of applying for a grant to explore for a new well.

Water Department Superintendent Jeremy Beckner says the well would help ensure safety.

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