A juvenile was questioned after a vandalism incident in the Francesville area.
On May 7, Pulaski County deputies were contacted about graffiti on several businesses in Francesville. The word “DOSOS” was written on several buildings in the area and deputies spoke to several business owners and citizens regarding the vandalism.
The North Judson Town Council last week discussed the possibility of putting up signage prohibiting smoking near shelters in the town park. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says that matter was tabled because, as of July 1, House Bill 1149 would take effect– a bill preventing smoking in many public areas. The council will investigate whether or not parks are included in that bill.
The Food Bank of Northern Indiana has released the Mobile Pantry on the road and one of its stops will be at the First Pentecostal Church of Knox.
Fresh perishable items and dry goods will be distributed for free on Thursday, May 24 from 10 a.m. to noon CT. You can get produce, grains, dairy and meat for free on a first-come, first-served basis. You will need to bring bags or boxes to carry items home.
The Yellow River Festival in Plymouth is scheduled for Saturday, June 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET in the River Park Square on LaPorte Street.
This festival celebrates the first 30 years of Marshall County from 1834 to 1864, as well as the significance of the Yellow River in the community. Johnny Appleseed will be present during the festival, as well as more re-enacters who dress in 1800s-style clothing and will explain artifacts. Non-profit food vendors will prepare treats during the event and many will be prepared over an open fire.
If you hear gunfire near Wythogan Park in Knox on June 9 and 10, don’t be alarmed– it’s merely World War Two happening all over again.
A WWII reenactment is being hosted by the US 1st Infantry Division, known as the “Big Red One,” a part of the World War Two Historical Re-Enactment Society. The sounds of battle will be heard coming from Wythogan Park, where the re-enactors will try to offer visitors a feel of what this exciting period of history must have been like. The re-enactors are collectors and serious students of history, representing several different nationalities who will try to dress, equip, and conduct themselves in proper 1944 manner.
Starke County Council President Dave Pearman encourages the public to attend the public hearing of the County Council and Commissioners on Monday, May 14, at the Starke County Annex Building.
The county officials will discuss the possible amendment of the county ordinance restricting the use of the proceeds from the lease of Starke Memorial Hospital dated October 1st, 1996. The amendment would authorize the use of up to $50,000 in Save the Hospital Funds to be used to hire a consultant to evaluate the hospital’s real and personal property. Starke County Council President, Dave Pearman, said you are encouraged to attend this public hearing to ask questions and voice concerns.
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers says his efforts to get American flags flying along U.S. 35 are going well, but he’s not sure if he’ll be able to get them up by Memorial Day.
Chambers says the American Legion donated a $400 check on Friday to get the project started, and he has already contacted the local VFW, who has informed him they are willing to help and are looking into what they can do to assist the cause. The Tri-Kappa organization has also said they would like to help the effort.
North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry wants to remind citizens of North Judson that the town will be flushing hydrants on the nights of May 13 and 14, so residents should keep in mind to run their water to ensure there is no rust in the line. Henry says if you’re doing a load of laundry, run an empty cycle first to avoid any rust in the wash.
The Safe Routes to School Task Force in Winamac has planned another “Walk to School” event for Winamac Elementary and Middle School students.
Students, parents, Safe Routes Task Force members and officers from the Winamac Police Department and Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department will walk to school on Tuesday, May 22. All are to meet at 7:15 a.m. ET at the Downtown Depot in Winamac and the walk will begin at 7:30 a.m. ET. Participants will walk down Main Street to the north side of the Pulaski County Courthouse, then across Monticello Drive to Riverside Drive, before ending at the school.
It will be a busy week in the City of Knox this week. It’s Spring Clean-up week! Knox Mayor Rick Chambers suggests utilizing two big dumpsters to throw out large, bulky items. The dumpsters will be located behind City Hall.
An additional salary ordinance for the town of North Judson is in the works. The ordinance would qualify town employees that earn a pesticide applicator license for an additional $.50 raise per hour.
That license was previously not included in the set of three licenses that would qualify an employee for a raise, but a number of workers took the class and qualified for the test. One hourly-paid employee took the class, passed the test, and will soon receive his license– but if the town council wanted to consider increasing his hourly rate by $.50, they would need to pass this ordinance.
The first and second readings of the ordinance were passed on Monday night, and a notice will be sent out to local papers publishing the ordinance. A third reading is expected to take place at the first meeting of the council in June.
The Starke County Tourism Board met this week and the members discussed putting together the county’s Traveler Magazine.
President Julie Dessauer said the 32-page manual will be distributed to all of the truck stops in the state of Indiana and will feature all the attractions Starke County has to offer. Now that all of the organization’s finances have been restored, advertising for the magazine can be secured and printed.
The board is also making plans for the Yellow River Fest in Hamlet to take place in August. A unique triathlon is scheduled and more details on that portion of the Yellow River Fest will be released once plans are finalized.
The Spotlight on Success portion of the Knox Community School Board meeting featured fifth grade teacher Corey Bucher, who talked about a recent “Natural Disasters in Science” field trip to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Superintendent A.J. Gappa summed up the presentation.
“Mr. Bucher also had two students, Kaitlyn Lindberg and Kevin Lovins, to show the reports that they had done and they reported to the board,” said Mr. Gappa. “They talked about their trip and Mr. Bucher was extremely happy that they were allowed to go and talk about all of the positive things that came out of the trip that the fifth grade took to Chicago.”
Things may soon be looking a bit purple in Knox, thanks to the Paint the Town Purple effort for Relay for Life.
Megan Hamand of Key Bank says that supporters will be hanging posters, putting up yard signs, tying purple ribbons around various items in the city, and they will encourage local businesses to show their support for Relay with a window decorating contest. Hamand says she will begin passing out flyers to storefront businesses next week informing them of a competition.
The goal of the competition is for local businesses to decorate their storefronts in purple and encourage visitors to donate money for Relay. Community members can “vote” for the best-decorated business by making a donation to Relay For Life in the business’s donation canister, and whichever business raises the most funds will receive six months of free advertising through Main Street Computers in Knox.
Hamand says she feels local businesses will participate in the event because the community has always shown such a high level of support for the Relay For Life organization.
“I just think that Relay for Life is such a community-wide event. I think everybody really embraces it, so it’s kind of fun to drive through the week before Relay and see the entire town purple and just get a feel. Especially if you’re battling cancer, or if you’re a cancer survivor, just to see that the whole community is behind you, that’s kind of a cool thing,” said Hamand.
The event will take place from May 28 to June 1, with the Relay to take place on June 8.
The staff at the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department encourages you to participate in the Indiana Fallen Officer Blood Drive on Wednesday, May 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Winamac.
The Indiana Fallen Officer Blood Drive campaign was founded by Janice Starnes whose husband, Sgt. Daniel Starnes, was killed in the line of duty in 2001. She says this blood drive ensures that our fallen officers are not forgotten and it raises awareness of the dangers officers face every day and the need for blood.
To schedule a blood donation appointment, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or log onto redcrossblood.org.
The North Judson Town Board’s plan to increase the size of the board from three members to five will be presented to the public for their approval in November on the general ballot. According to Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry, voters will be asked if they support the referendum to increase the board’s size after the Starke County Election Board ensures it gets on the ballot.
Pulaski County employees who are responsible for driving county-owned vehicles will soon have an added incentive to stay away from drugs and alcohol, as the commissioners this week authorized Cathy Fritz of Cathy Fritz Consulting to draft a drug testing policy to ensure the county meets federal guidelines for employees operating their vehicles.
Fritz told the commissioners she would charge $150 for a 30-page policy which conforms to the strict guidelines in place by the Department of Transportation regarding drug testing. She warned the commissioners that the county would be subject to audit to ensure they are in accordance with their guidelines, but did say that it is unlikely unless an accident were to occur.
The Knox City Council this week discussed the replacement of a lift station near Clabaugh Drive and U.S. 35. According to Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, the council is looking into covering 50 percent of the cost using their TIF funds, with the other half to be taken from the Cumulative Sewer Treatment Fund. Houston says the expected cost of the project is $188,301.08.
A Valparaiso man was arrested May 7 after he reportedly broke into the M.C. Smith Funeral Home in Knox.
The owner of the funeral home, Mark Smith, told police that Sonny St. John’s mother had died and was at the facility, but St. John wanted to change funeral homes. St. John learned that his mother’s trust was paying for the funeral and he reportedly told Smith that he found another home that could do the funeral for cheaper. Smith said St. John could not have the money back from the arrangements already made because it was illegal. St. John allegedly became belligerent and began saying that he would burn down the funeral home if he didn’t get what he wanted. He also threatened to break into the business and take his mother out of the facility. Smith told police that the threats really didn’t mean much– until he saw St. John leaving the facility when he was not there and the doors were locked.
A man accused of breaking into a Knox residence on April 28, 2010 was found not guilty of two charges against him following his jury trial on Wednesday.
James Watts was accused of breaking into a home at 4168 South CR 210 in Knox and stealing multiple tools and gas. He was charged with Burglary as a Class C felony and Theft as a Class D felony after a cigarette found in the residence matched his DNA. The owner of the home, Orlean Janasz, told police that she didn’t know him and nor did her family.
