Knox local Ray Duran went home yesterday afternoon with a brand new 42” flat screen TV from Sears in Knox after he blew away the competition in the K99.3 Football Pick’Em contest! Every contestant who entered had to choose who would win all of the games that week, and Duran picked more correct teams than any other contestant.
Duran, who was born in San Diego but moved to Knox when he was around nine years old, said this was the first time he has participated in the Football Pick’Em contest.
The Culver Academies Black Horse Troop and the Culver Girls Academy Equestriennes continue to practice for the Presidential Inaugural Parade on Monday, Jan. 21.
Four local students will be riding along in the parade. Celeta Dodge of Walkerton, Joshua Kuric of Knox, Natalie Hogan of Plymouth and Peter and Paul Foersch of Culver will be riding with the other 20-plus members of the Equestriennes and 50-plus members of the Black Horse Troop.
It’s all about accountability, said Pulaski County Commissioner Larry Brady, who expressed his desire to ensure county employees only have keys to the courthouse doors and their own offices. He told his fellow commissioners and the department heads in attendance that he would like all county building keys to which the commissioners have access to be stored at the county 911 center.
The Starke County Commissioners heard an update from IT Director Joe Short regarding the narrowbanding compliance efforts being undertaken by the county. Short told the commissioners that the compliance update is finished, and all compatible equipment has been programmed to the new standard. However, a few pieces of equipment cannot be upgraded to narrowband, and Short said those will need to be replaced.
Two ordinances are still in the works for the town of North Judson, but according to Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry, those ordinances will likely be in place within the next month or two. One ordinance pertains to changes to the cemetery rules and regulations while the second regulates domestic and farm animals within the town.
Indiana is experiencing a high level of influenza-like activity early in this flu season with seven deaths reported since November.
Craig Felty, Executive Director of Patient Care at IU Health Starke Hospital said the hospital’s Emergency Room had 59 positive cases in December 2012. No cases of the flu were reported in December 2011. Pulaski Memorial Hospital has seen a big increase in positive influenza cases since Dec. 1.
Parents be advised, there are some new immunization requirements for students heading to school in the fall. The State Department of Health recently released their immunization requirements for students, which includes some new vaccinations.
Continuing her efforts to raise awareness of the health problems in the county and the newly-formed coalition, “Moving Starke County Forward,” former state representative Nancy Dembowski appeared before the Knox City Council asking them to proclaim 2013 a “Year of Health” for the city of Knox.
Dembowski explained that because the county had come in second-to-last place for health rankings in the state, she said it’s time to see what can be done to improve health in Starke County. She said that a proclamation from all county governments would help spread the word, and she said the organization is also planning a number of county-wide health contests. On top of that, Dembowski said the group is hoping to hold a drug symposium in the spring to raise awareness of the harmful effects of drugs.
The Culver School Board discussed a number of action items at their regular meeting on Jan. 7 and appointed several members to various teams and responsibilities.
Board member James Wentzel made a motion to appoint Superintendent Brad Schuldt as the Title IX Coordinator – a motion that was seconded by board member Ken VanDePutte and passed unanimously. Every school or school district that receives federal funding is required to designate and adequately train at least one employee to coordinate the recipient’s Title IX responsibilities.
The Starke County Chamber of Commerce has announced the winner of the Henry F. Schricker Award for 2012.
This year’s recipient is Joseph Eugene “Gene” Blastic of Bass Lake. Gene has served Starke County in many ways and exemplifies Schricker’s motto of “Service before Self.”
An all-day conference of the Leadership Starke County organization will take place today at the North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The 12 members on the committee will be discussing education, future direction, funding and holding several panel discussions on the different topics.
Pulaski Memorial Hospital’s winner of the Patsy Shoemaker Award for 2012 has been announced.
The Patsy Shoemaker Award is presented to the Pulaski Memorial Hospital Outstanding Associate of the year each December and the 2012 recipient was Michele Willing. Willing began her career at the hospital in 1988 as a medical transcriptionist in Health Information. She then advanced to Data Specialist within the department. After the unexpected passing of Patsy Shoemaker, she filled the position of Health Information Management Supervisor.
Willing continues in her work as Health Information Management Supervisor.
A Starke County man was arrested recently amidst allegations that he invited a child to engage in inappropriate physical contact.
Rodney Freet, Jr. is accused of Child Solicitation after a juvenile girl told her father that Freet had invited her to engage in the inappropriate conduct.
An ongoing dispute in the city administration for Knox has left one office empty, as former Planning Commissioner Greg Matt was not re-elected to his position. Worse, the Planning Commission and Mayor Rick Chambers are at odds as to who elects the planning commissioner – Chambers said he believes the planning commissioner is a department head appointed by him, but the Planning Commission believes he is an employee appointed by the commission.
Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer approached the county commissioners at their meeting this week with a request to follow through with the second of two vehicle purchases approved by the county council. Gayer said he had purchased one of the vehicles last year with the commissioners’ approval, but now, he has returned once again seeking permission to purchase the second.
Vincent Rossetti pleaded guilty to two causes in the Starke Circuit Court this week. Rossetti pleaded guilty to Habitual Traffic Violator as a Class D felony and was sentenced to 18 months in the Department of Corrections with none suspended, and his driver’s license was suspended for two years.
The Starke County Commissioners this week approved the signing of a contract application for Community Corrections. Robert Hinojosa, director of Starke County Community Corrections, told the commissioners that he wasn’t asking them to sign the contract just yet; he was merely asking them to approve the application for the contract.
Starke County Commissioner Jennifer Davis attended the most recent meeting of the North Judson Town Council to express, on behalf of the commissioners, their thanks to the North Judson Park Board, Council, and anyone else that had anything to do with the Christmas light display at Norwayne Field. Davis said the lights were spectacular and a fine representation of the community and Starke County.
The Oregon-Davis School Board met in special session Monday night to install new board members. Superintendent Dr. Steve Disney said the two newly elected members, Kurt Hayes and Lee Nagai, were sworn into office and then the board reorganized for the year.
The Culver Community School Board held their first regular meeting of the year on Monday, Jan. 7, and the first order of business was the swearing-in of new board members.
Vice President Ryan Sieber and notary public Jo Ann Warner administered the oath of office to elected board members David Cooper, Ken VanDePutte, James Wentzell, and Mark Maes, before the board members made their nominations for board officers.
