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
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What does IRS e-file opening mean?
The IRS accepts tax returns filed one of two ways: on paper sent through the mail and electronically through e-file. About 88% of individual tax returns were e-filed between April 19, 2013 and April 18, 2014. That amounts to nearly 116 million tax returns. Continue reading
The Starke County and Marshall County Commissioners and EMA directors have implemented an advisory level travel restriction.
The advisory level is the lowest level when talking about travel restrictions. The advisory level means that routine travel or activities may be restricted in areas because of a hazardous situation. Individuals should use caution or avoid those areas. 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 Pulaski County Commissioners approved an ordinance for the retention of issued duty weapons and issuance of retired identification for certain retired sheriff’s personnel.
The ordinance states that the commissioners may transfer county property valued at$1,000 or less without advertising the transfer or request bids. Pulaski County Sheriff Jeff Richwine believes it appropriate to allow an officer who is a retiring county merit deputy or sheriff in good standing to have one of their firearms as recognition of service to the county. That officer or sheriff must have served honorably as a merit officer of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office for a minimum of 20 years. The ordinance affects sheriff’s office personnel who have retired after Dec. 1, 2014.
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.
Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall took evidence under advisement that was presented in a 404B hearing Tuesday morning. The hearing involved the argument surrounding the allowance of evidence into a trial where Robert Corbin is a defendant.
It is alleged that Corbin and a student at Knox High School exchanged inappropriate messages while he was a teacher at the school corporation. The acts reportedly happened in a time period between January and March 2012. Corbin was arrested in the beginning of April 2012 on two counts of attempted child seduction as a Class D felony.
With wind chills dipping well below zero for the next couple of days, protect yourself against the effects of hypothermia.
Your body temperature drops after prolonged exposure to the cold which causes abnormal activity of the heart, nervous system and other organs, according to information released by the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms of mild hypothermia include: shivering, dizziness, hunger, nausea, trouble speaking, slight confusion, fatigue, and increased heart rate
The combination of temperatures below freezing and sub-zero wind chills means an increased likelihood of frozen pipes unless precautions are taken. These include leaving cabinet doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks open so warm air can circulate around pipes and insulating them with foam rubber or fiberglass insulation sleeves or wrapping. Both can be purchased at a hardware store, or a plumber can do it for you. Cracks in outside walls or foundations should also be caulked to keep cold air away from pipes. Also skirting around mobile homes that is missing or has fallen off should be replaced to keep cold air from circulating under the dwelling. Continue reading
