Although many flags are already being flown at half staff in honor of the servicemen from Indiana who lost their lives last Thursday in Afghanistan, the official mourning period begins at 8:00 a.m. this morning.
Starke County Service Officer Gordon Richie made the announcement yesterday. Richie was asked how long the period will last.
“Until the funeral day,” he said. “After the funeral, at the closing of the businesses and Courthouse, they will then take the flags down from half staff.”
A Winamac woman was arrested on Wednesday after police found her in possession of a controlled substance.
A Pulaski County Sheriff’s Deputy found a vehicle parked at the intersection of Adams and Monticello Street but didn’t initially see anyone in the car. The officer approached the vehicle and saw a woman, Michelle Hanson, sitting in a reclined seat in the vehicle. The officer knocked on the window several times until she opened the door. The officer asked what she was doing there and she replied that she had a few drinks with her friend and they went shopping. She said her friend stopped at that location and dropped her off. When the officer spoke to Hanson, he could tell that she had been drinking.
Advanced Life Support service for Starke County may be only a few weeks away. That was the message the Starke County Commissioners heard last week from EMS Director Paul Mathewson.
“We found out that the application itself got accepted by the State for us to go ahead and move forward in becoming ALS certified,” said Mathewson.
Mathewson said he’s waiting on the state to come down and inspect the rigs and equipment before he can move ahead.
“We’re getting in equipment to stock the ambulance itself with all of the necessary equipment to run an ALS rig. We’re in the process of hiring on new paramedics to upgrade our service so that when the State is able to come down, we’re ready to go.”
The toxicology results have been released by the Marshall County Coroner’s Office and Coroner Bill Cleveanger said in the case of Richard Dennis III, alcohol and drugs were not a factor in accident that claimed his Dennis’ life on January 3rd.
On January 3rd, police say Richard Dennis III was traveling westbound on 9th Road, just east of Quince Road when he encountered a set of railroad tracks. He didn’t slow or stop at the tracks and went over the incline and over the tracks at a high rate of speed. The road conditions were slick at time and Dennis reportedly lost control of his vehicle and hit a tree. He was killed upon impact. State Police are investigating reports that Dennis may have been involved in a hit and run accident in Plymouth shortly before the fatal crash. The accident remains under investigation with the Marshall County Coroner’s Office and the Indiana State Police.
The West Central School Board learned that the Corporation will soon see an increase in utility rates as their electric supplier was recently approved for an increase with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.
Superintendent Charles Mellon said that this increase has disrupted the initial plan for the utilization and cost of the wind turbine.
WKVI’s Ed Hasnerl has been officially named as Starke County Historian by the Indiana Historical Society. He replaces Marvin Allen who has moved to Florida. He was nominated by the local historical society last November.
The county historian acts as a contact person for people in the state and around the nation who have questions about county history. The position is a voluntary, working position.
The remains of four National Guard soldiers, who were killed after their truck struck a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Thursday, have returned to the United States. The remains of Spc. Robert Tauteris, Jr. 44 of Hamlet, Spc. Brian Leonhardt, 21 of Merrillville, Christopher Patterson, 20, of Aurora, Ill., and Staff Sgt. Jonathan Metzger, 32, of Indianapolis arrived in Dover, Delaware where a dignified transfer honors service was held. The fallen soldiers’ families were at the service along with senior military leaders of the Department of Defense, U.S. Army, the Army National Guard and the Indiana National Guard.
Hamlet Town Board President Dave Kesvormas, on behalf of the Hamlet Town Board, has declared that all U.S. Flags, in the town limits, be flown at half mast in memory of Army SPC Robert J. Tauteris, of Hamlet, who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving his country in Afghanistan.
Video of the transfer service can be viewed by clicking here.
Photo provided.
A Starke County soldier is one of four from the Hoosier state who were killed in Afghanistan this week. Robert “Bobby” Tauteris Jr., whose home address was listed in a release as being from Hamlet, was apparently killed by an IED explosion while on patrol.
Tauteris was a 1986 graduate of North Judson-San Pierre High School and is survived by his children Robert and Matthew. He is the son of Robert Tauteris, Sr. His mother Marge preceded him in death.
The Pulaski County Community Development Commission is working on bringing businesses into Pulaski County this year and one focus will be attracting ag-oriented industry on the west side of the county where rail is available. Executive Director Nathan Origer says he will also keep the welding classes open for interested students.
An officer from the Knox City Police Department was called to a meth lab dump site behind the Pentecostal Church on Wednesday.
Police arrived at the church at 509 S. Roosevelt Road in Knox were they met with a surveyor from Stephenson Land Surveying. The lab was not on the church grounds, but the surveyor said that he found a large tarp on the ground in the woods behind the church and saw footprints that led up to the tarp. The man thought a person was underneath the tarp and called out but received no answer. The surveyor then lifted up the tarp and saw items that are used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. He told police that another lab was found about 80 feet away under another tarp.
The West Central School Board voted Thursday to eliminate the Middle School Principal’s position. Superintendent Charles Mellon explains the reasoning behind the recommendation.
The Knox City Council discussed the 2012 Mayoral Appointments at their recent meeting. There is currently no water superintendent for the city because the previous superintendent was released from duty earlier this week. A seat on the Starke County Alcoholic Beverage Board is also open, and Mayor Rick Chambers told the council that he will possibly be seeking an Ordinance Officer in the summer. That position was previously handled by the police, but according to Chambers, that hasn’t worked out as well as he’d hoped.
The North Judson Town Board discussed trash bids at their meeting last week. The Board has not yet appointed a Town Attorney so the legal information regarding the trash bids can not be processed until an Attorney is appointed. The Board will make that appointment at their January 16th meeting.
The Hamlet Town Board reorganized and elected Dave Kesvormas as the Board President. Brian Earnest was appointed to the K-IRPC Board, Martin Bedrock was retained as the Board Attorney and Frank Lonigro, Jr. was appointed to the Starke County Economic Development Foundation and Frank Lonigro III was retained as the Town Marshal.
Emergency personnel were called to an accident on 1100 East, just north of U.S. 30 in Starke County yesterday afternoon. According to an officer from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department, 45-year-old Lois Bickel, of Plymouth, was traveling northbound on 1100 East, when for some unknown reason, left the roadway, went sideways, went into the ditch and hit some trees. She was airlifted to South Bend Memorial Hospital and later died of her injuries.
The St. Joseph County Coroner’s Office determined her cause of death as blunt force trauma. The Starke County Sheriff’s Department investigated the accident.
An interesting garnishment case came up before the Starke County Commissioners this week.
A public employee complained to the commissioners that her employer had received a “garnishment” notice from the treasurer’s office stating that she was behind in her real estate taxes. The matter was eventually cleared up at the treasurer’s office. It was an honest mistake that was easily corrected.
Cheryl Paschen made an appearance in the Starke Circuit Court Thursday for her plea and sentencing hearing. She had previously posted bond and was on home detention for three months, but on October 20th, she was removed from monitoring and has been staying with her parents.
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Mary Ryan told Judge Kim Hall that she would need written approval for Community Corrections confirming Paschen is eligible for home detention as part of the plea agreement. In addition, the state will need to check and ensure that warrant issues in LaPorte County and Florida will not interfere with the defendant’s ability to successfully complete the agreement.
City Attorney David Matsey mentioned during the recent meeting of the Knox City Council that he had received a claim from an attorney in Connecticut in regards to a drowning victim in the Yellow River. The claim will be handled and covered by the city’s insurance carrier, but Knox Mayor Rick Chambers told the council that he plans to set a date for a risk management inspector to inspect the train bridge over the Yellow River.
The Pulaski County Community Development Commission Board members have a lot of projects on tap for this year.
“We’re going to continue to build our efforts towards some Youth Retention programming,” said Executive Director, Nathan Origer. “Ideally, we’d like to get some non-voting youth members on our board contributing. We are planning an Economic Summit for probably late spring and this year it’s going to focus on entrepreneurial development, business start-ups, people who have a business and need to figure out how to take the next step in expanding their businesses and sustaining their businesses.”
The members of the Knox Community School Board reorganized at their meeting Monday night. Harold Welter was retained as Board President, Mary Lynn Ritchie was retained as Vice President and Jerry Fletcher was retained as Secretary. William Satterlee III, from Hoeppner, Wagner and Evans in Valparaiso, will continue as the Board’s legal counsel.
During the Spotlight on Success portion of the meeting, the Board viewed a promotional video put together by Middle School students Colin Kulpa and Jason Christopher. Technology Coach, Chris Ross, helped the students with the final touches but Superintendent A.J. Gappa said the students did the majority of the work.
