Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department Honors Fallen Heroes

pulaski county sheriff memorial 2As they have for the past eight years, members of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department hosted the annual memorial service on May 27 in front of the Sheriff’s Department in Winamac.

This ceremony is held to honor the memory of three fallen officers from the Pulaski County police force. The department recognized Sheriff Charles Henry Oglesby, Sheriff Milo “Mike” Lewis and Deputy Sheriff Shadron Kiley “Shad” Bassett who were all tragically lost in the line of duty. Family members received honorary license plates from the station.

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Older Adults Invited to Pulaski County Human Services Picnic

Pulaski County Human ServicesOlder adults are invited to the Winamac Town Park today for the annual Pulaski County Human Services Senior Citizen Picnic. It takes place from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the community building. Food and beverages will be provided. Blood pressure screenings will also be available. The documentary “Age of Champions” will be screened as well. The Pulaski County Human Services Von Tobel Center in Winamac and West Side Center in Medaryville will both be closed so staff members can attend the picnic, and home-delivered meals will not be provided.

Demotte State Bank Plans Relay for Life Golf Outing

 
 

Golfers can take to the links for a good cause Saturday. The Demotte State Bank Relay for Life team is hosting a golf outing at Chesapeake Run Golf Course. There’s still time to sign up or sponsor a hole. All proceeds go to Starke County Relay for Life. Candice Miller says golfers will also have a shot at a large prize. Cambe Chevrolet has donated a new car, and the first golfer to hit a hole-in-one will win it.

The Demotte State Bank team is one of several taking part in the Starke County Relay for Life on June 21 and 22nd at the Hamlet Fairgrounds. Miller says it’s a very family-oriented event that raises money for and awareness of cancer research. She adds it’s special to her for personal reasons because a lot of her family members have been affected by or lost their lives to cancer. Miller is also a cancer survivor. She calls Relay for Life a “really excellent organization” and says she tries to promote it in any way she can.

Stop by Demotte State Bank to sign up for Saturday’s Relay for Life Golf Tournament or to get more information about hole sponsorship opportunities.

 

 

Bass Lake Watercraft Accident Injures Two

 
 

A Memorial Day accident on Bass Lake sends two people to the hospital. A personal watercraft driven by Jeremy Hershman, 33, of Willets, Calif. hit a watercraft operated by Amanda Marsh, 26, of North Judson, at a right angle, according to a news release from the DNR. Both were thrown into the water. Marsh was able to right her craft and drive it back to the shore. A boater helped Hershman into a pontoon boat and took him to shore for treatment. Starke County EMS took both to IU Health Starke Hospital. Marsh was treated for minor injuries and released. Hershman suffered broken ribs, fractured vertebrae and fluid on the lungs. He was transferred to Memorial Hospital of South Bend for additional treatment. Both Marsh and Hershman were wearing life jackets when the crash occurred. It’s still under investigation.

Starke County Election Board to Tackle Complaints from Primary Election

  
 

The Starke County Election Board members will meet today at 9 a.m. to go over several complaints issued during the Primary Election.

The board members will discuss complaints from the poll workers, from candidates and supporter and about the food vendor. Remedies will be considered for the General Election.

A candidate has withdrawn and more information will be available during the meeting.

The Starke County Election Board will meet in the second floor meeting room in the Starke County Courthouse.

Knox City Council to Meet in Special Session

  
 

The Knox City Council will meet in regular session tonight where the council members will once again look at the outdoor storage ordinance that has come back from the plan commission.

Building Commissioner Bruce Williams told WKVI that the ordinance has not changed from what the council previously reviewed. Knox Mayor Rick Chambers told the council members at their last meeting that same thing and it just has to have final action.

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Demolition Order Tabled, Changes Made to WECS Ordinance

  
 

Pulaski County Building Inspector Dave Dare and David Weber presented a demolition order for an unsafe property on U.S. 421 in Francesville but it was tabled as property owner, Lawrence Sears, could not be located and wasn’t properly notified of the order.

Dare said he attempted certified mail and a response was not delivered. A public advocate for Sears said that he has not been able to respond due to a medical issue and the commissioners voted to table the order for 90 days until Sears has a chance to properly respond.

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Fletcher Cemetery Association Raising Money to Restore Veterans Monument

The Fletcher Cemetery Association is raising money to restore this veterans monument.
The Fletcher Cemetery Association is raising money to restore this veterans monument.

Members of the Fletcher Cemetery Association want to restore and expand the monument there dedicated to the memory of local men and women who served in our nation’s armed forces. The statue dates to the 1950s, and there is no more room to add names to it. Fletcher Cemetery Association Board Member Hobart Martin says the foundation is also giving way. The board hopes to raise enough money through private donations to move the monument east of its current location, pour a new foundation and add commemorative bricks nearby with more names. Fletcher Cemetery is located at the intersection of County Road 400 North and County Road 700 East. Martin says the cemetery gets no funds from the federal, state or local government. All maintenance and upkeep is done through lot sales and donations. Any business or individual who gives at least $500 to the monument restoration will have a commemorative block engraved to acknowledge their support. However Martin says gifts in any amount are welcome. The Hamlet American Legion and several local businesses have already contributed to the project. Click here Fletcher Cemetery Association to read more about how you can contribute to the monument restoration.

Move “Another Step Forward” During This Summer’s Walking Challenge

 
 

Starke County residents are encouraged to take “another step forward” this summer. That’s the name of the second annual “Moving Starke County Forward” walking challenge. Last year 250 residents collectively walked 27,000 miles between Memorial Day and Labor Day. That’s enough to lap the globe three times. This year’s goal is a more ambitious 50,000 miles. Coordinator Ryan Greer hopes 500 people will sign up. He adds miles don’t have to be earned by walking. Other types of physical activity like swimming, bicycle riding and jogging can also be logged toward the total. A kickoff event will take place Saturday, May 31 at 10 a.m. at Wythogen Park in Knox. If you can’t make it, registration sheets are available at local libraries, city and town halls and can be picked up throughout the summer. More information about this year’s walking challenge and other initiatives is also available on the Moving Starke County Forward Facebook page.

Winamac Man Arrested on Georgia Warrant

Jeffery Mack
Jeffery Mack

A Winamac man was arrested early Friday morning on a Georgia state warrant for rape.

The Winamac Police Department took 21-year-old Jeffery Mack into custody on the charge. He is being held without bond in the Pulaski County Jail.

The information into the nature of the alleged offense was not made immediately available.

Starke County Commissioners Revise Nepotism Policy

  
 

The Starke County Commissioners have revised their nepotism policy to mirror state law. The county has had an ordinance on the books since 2011 to address favoritism granted to relatives without regard to merit. The changes bring the county’s policy in line with a state law that’s since been passed. County attorney Marty Lucas says it defines a relative as a parent or stepparent, a child or stepchild, a brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister, niece or nephew, daughter-in-law or son-in-law. For purposes of the ordinance, an adopted child is the same as a natural child. Brother and sister includes brother and sister by half-blood. It otherwise leaves the ordinance the same. Lucas says this change will make potential legal challenges to the law easier to defend. The policy only applies to county government employees who work in the same office or department.

Starke County Council Considering Revised Innkeeper’s Tax

starke-county-courthouseThe Starke County Council will consider a revision to the innkeeper’s tax when they meet on Monday, June 16. The county already has a tax on the books for hotels, motels and other rental lodgings. The proposed policy clarifies that taxes are to be reported on forms provided by the county treasurer and is due to that office no more than 20 days after the end of the month in which it is collected. An addition to the ordinance sets a civil penalty for non-payment at 100 percent of the amount of the annual uncollected tax, plus taxes due. The proposed change passed on first reading during Monday’s council meeting.

N.J.-S.P. Hosts Summer Food Service Program

NJ-SP ElementaryThe North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation will take part in the federal summer food service program this year. Free breakfast and lunch will be available to all children through age 18 each Monday through Thursday from June 9 through 26. Food will also be served to adults who are enrolled in a state approved education program for the mentally or physically disabled. All meals will be served at the North Judson-San Pierre Elementary School cafeteria. Breakfast will be offered from 7:30 until 8 a.m. daily. Lunch will be served from 11:15 a.m. until noon. Adults may eat there for a nominal charge. Adult breakfasts cost $1, and lunches are $2.

Community Garden Planned in Pulaski County

gardenNatalie Federer and Debra Winters from the Pulaski County Extension Office requested permission from the Pulaski County Commissioners this week to put together a community garden just east of the historical society museum.

A grant was received to start the program. Six to eight moveable, raised beds would be placed on the property.

Anyone in the community can plant seeds in the beds and help maintain the plants. Extra food will be donated to the food pantry.

Attending the garden makes it easier with the help of garden tools. There are tool and machine reviews online that helps people find the right garden and lawn tools for their money.

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River Overlook Dedication Planned at Tippecanoe River State Park

The Bill and Sandy Goble family donated money to build this overlook at Tippecanoe River State Park.
The Bill and Sandy Goble family donated money to build this overlook at Tippecanoe River State Park.

The first of two new overlooks at Tippecanoe River State Park will be formally dedicated during a brief ceremony this morning. William and Sandra Goble of Winamac donated $4,500 for construction of the overlook in memory of their son, Greg. He worked the park  and spent much of his life enjoying the river. Last year volunteers tore out the old overlook to build the new structure, and several local companies donated materials and labor. The Goble family will join Tippecanoe River State Park employees and Friends of Tippecanoe River State Park members at 11 a.m. EDT to dedicate the structure. It’s located behind the park’s nature center. The ceremony will be followed by a brief, catered meal.

 

Lego Club Available at Henry F. Schricker Public Library

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIf you’ve been looking for a creative outlet for your child who loves to build, look no further. The Henry F. Shricker Public Library in Knox offers a club the final Tuesday of every month that fits that description. It gives students the chance to show off their amateur architecture skills with Legos. Kids have the opportunity to build and name their own creation. This organization gives local children a chance to work with their hands and develop original work that will be featured in the library throughout the month. The next  meeting will take place Tuesday, May 27 from 5:30 until 6:30 p.m.

North Judson Town Board Adopts Social Media Policy

North Judson Water TowerThe Town of North Judson now has a social networking policy on the books for its employees. It applies to all full and part-time workers, elected officials and any other person or persons or department in close association with the town. Board members adopted the policy when they met Monday night. It recognizes that people may use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media sites and reminds them that their postings may have an adverse effect on the town or themselves. Employees are urged to monitor content in which they are tagged and only post work-related information with permission. The policy does allow the clerk-treasurer to post information about upcoming town events or needs on social media sites with approval from the council. To read the policy, click here  SOCIAL NETWORKING POLICY-05-19-2014. Continue reading