The North Judson Town Board approved a change order with the State Road 39 project during their meeting this week. The project originally came under bid by approximately $108,000 and with this leftover grant money, the Board approved sewer separation work to be done on two additional blocks at a cost of $75,969. That leaves $33,000 left in available grant funds for change orders. Nies Engineering is currently working on sewer separation project.
9-11 services are planned throughout the listening area this Sunday.
At Knox, WKVI is sponsoring a Commemoration Ceremony at the Knox High School Football Field from 4:00-5:00 p.m. CT. Among those participating are WKVI personalities Tom Berg, Harold Welter, Ed Hasnerl, and Ted Hayes. Starke County EMS Director, Paul Mathewson, will also speak and vocalist Mae Crider will present special music.
The Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry shelves are again bare. Cecilia Torres told Ted Hayes yesterday that 279 families were helped with meat and groceries in August. That number reached an all-time high.
“More and more people are turning to the Food Pantry and donations are down,” said Torres. “We get our food from churches, organizations and individuals who open up their pocketbooks and their hearts to us. We’ve gotten a few dollar donations.”
The Indiana State Board of Accounts has completed the 2010 audit of the Starke County Treasurer’s Office. Starke County officials have been anxious to receive the report that will complete the most recent bookkeeping activities in the Treasurer’s Office that the Board will audit. The report is now in the hands of county officials.
Treasurer Linda Belork was removed from office by the County Commissioners after irregularities in the 2009 accounts were reported by the State Board of Accounts. The Commissioners also removed the deputies from office and named Casey Clark and Michelle Snowdon to handle the day-to-day activities in the office until the matter is straightened out.
Brian Horvath of Weaver and Boos Consultants gave a report to the Starke County Commissioners yesterday that indicates that they are getting closer to closing the old Starke County Landfill. Gas probes were installed over the summer and the Commissioners received a report this week of what information the company has gotten while monitoring the probes.
Horvath was asked what the next step is in getting the landfill closed.
A warmer winter than usual is in the works for eight low-income homeowners in Pulaski County, thanks to a grant from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. Shawn Cain from the Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission appeared before the county commissioners to request they approve a waiver of building fees for these eight homes that have been selected to receive much-needed improvements at no cost to the owners.
Two representatives from Universal Technical Institute of Chicago were at the SCILL Center yesterday explaining some of the courses offered at their school for students who would like a career in the automotive field. They brought a 1920s car with a Chevy motor for the students to see. The students were also competing against each other on how fast they could change spark plugs.
SCILL Center Director, Jerry Gurrado, said that these students are lucky in that colleges are able to come to the SCILL Center and present a post-secondary curriculum to the students. Continue reading
Starke County Highway Superintendent, Steve Siddall, and Engineer Ken Minot approached the Starke County Commissioners yesterday to give them an update on three bridge projects.
Siddall was asked if Bridge #156, which is located at Range Road and 400 North, is moving on schedule.
“With what the Commissioners want for fall harvest, we’re right on time,” replied Siddall. “Hopefully, the weather cooperates.”
Calling the future of IU Health Starke Hospital and the decision to be made on the Starke County Jail the two most important issues over the next five years, Commissioner Kathy Norem said a night should be devoted to providing information to the public on both issues.
The hospital administration was to attend the September 19th regular meeting of the Commissioners, but Norem thought the presentations would be more important than just being discussed with other county business.
The Starke County Courthouse elevator is scheduled to be up and running by October 1st.
That was especially good news to Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall who has been moving his docket to accommodate people who could not get to the third floor for legal matters, because they were unable to climb the steps due to disabilities.
The County Commissioners discussed cleaning the murals on the walls and ceilings at the Courthouse. A figure of $100,000 was initially used to do the work, but after a check with Jim Shilling, it was decided that it might be as low as $13,000. The Commissioners also discussed seeing if the Division of Historic Preservation might be able to release some grant money to help finance the project.
It’s almost that time of year again to start worrying about the flu.
Before you start getting a sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue or a horrible hacking cough, get vaccinated!
The 32 hour National Institute of Corrections Conference in Denver, Colorado has given Starke County Deputy Bill Dulin a new perspective on how to plan for a new, remodeled or retrofitted jail.
As we heard earlier from Sheriff Oscar Cowen and Councilman David Pearman, now is the time for data collection. It begins with a request by Sheriff Cowen to have the National Institute of Corrections to come in and inspect the jail.
The Starke United kick-off event is scheduled for September 21st at 8:00 a.m. at the Knox Community Center.
WKVI’s Ed Hasnerl will be speaking during the event along with Irene Szakonyi and Knox Community School Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Peggy Shidaker. According to Starke United Executive Director, Julie Dessauer, they will be discussing programs that benefit from Starke United. Integrity Trade is sponsoring the day’s breakfast which will be catered by the Country Kettle.
Construction work continues on two bridges on U.S. 35 in Pulaski and LaPorte Counties.
An INDOT spokesman told WKVI News that work is just about complete on Phase 1 of the Quigley Ditch Bridge replacement project in Winamac. Crews will be paving the rehabilitated section of bridge in the next few days and traffic is expected to switch onto the new pavement by this Friday, September 9th. The other side of the bridge will then be rehabbed. Traffic restrictions should be gone by the end of October or early November unless inclement weather delays construction.
LaPorte resident, Mitch Feikes, recently announced his candidacy in the race for Indiana’s Second Congressional seat on the Republican ticket. He will face Republican Jackie Walorski in the Primary Election.
Sam Frain, Second District Republican Chairman, said the Republican party is a little concerned about his candidacy as a Republican.
The Community Services of Starke County staff is gearing up for the winter season. Cooler weather is right around the corner and they will soon be taking applications for energy assistance to households that meet income guidelines.
The Knox Elementary School PTO is collecting box tops for a fundraising event again this year. PTO President, Shelly Kemble, hopes to collect enough box tops to meet their goal.
“We are hoping for approximately $6,000 in Box Tops this year and that will put us over last year’s goal and prior years to that,” said Kemble. “Box Tops are easy to find. You can also go onto this website and register for daily contests. Send the Box Tops in with the students or drop them off in the Main Office.”
The comedy musical Nunsense A-Men! will be performed Saturday and Sunday, September 10th and 11th, by students from the Winamac Community High School Drama Department.
The event will be a dinner theater both evenings. A chicken dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m., in the school cafeteria, followed by dessert at 6:30 p.m., in the Socialtorium. The show will begin at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Wednesday, September 7th, is the final day to purchase dinner/show tickets which are $10.00. The show only tickets are $6.00 may be purchased up to showtime at the door. All current Winamac students will receive a $1.00 discount on their tickets. To purchase your dinner/show tickets, call the Winamac Community High School office at (574) 946-6151.
Nunsense A-Men! is written by Dan Goggin and is presented through special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
The production stars students Tyler Abbott, Jordan Morning, Ridge Parks, Caleb Schmicker and J.T. Garnett. It will be directed by Patrick Schuttrow.
Labor Day is coming this year on the heels of some promising news from the Starke County Economic Development Foundation Office. Executive Director Charles Weaver has had exciting announcements about Sabre and J.W. Hicks, Inc. in the past few weeks. Both announcements included promises of more jobs down the road.
Of course, the community is most anxious to hear about the Sysco project. That project has been hold for several years due to the economy. This summer has brought much speculation that something might be coming to the site near Hamlet.
Weaver, though, has not issued any information on the project except to say that he’s still very hopeful that it will become a reality. If the Sysco Distribution Plant would end up being built here in the not to distant future, it would be a real shot in the arm to a county that has been hovering around 10% unemployment for many months.
The residents between Culver and Argos are quite concerned about an announced plan to put huge wind turbines on property close to Lake Maxinkuckee.
The Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Council and the Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Fund are the latest to come out against the project that has been proposed by Florida based energy company NexEra.
