Thanksgiving is reportedly the third most dangerous holiday for deaths in the United States. Between 1998 and 2008, there was an average of 572 deaths annually on U.S. highways during the Thanksgiving holiday, making it the most deadly four-day holiday period on American roads. The 4th of July is the deadliest three-day holiday weekend.
The National Safety Commission blames speeding and tired and/or sleepy drivers for the high number of deaths around Thanksgiving.
The cost of a classic Thanksgiving dinner including turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie, and the basic trimmings increased by $1.86 this year, according to an informal statewide survey of grocery store prices coordinated by Indiana Farm Bureau. The cost for this year’s feast for 10 is $45.79.
Whatever type of turkey you purchased for today’s feast, a turkey farmer’s number one priority is the safety and health of their flock, because a healthy turkey will ultimately be the best quality product for consumers.
Did you notice the terms conventional, free range, organic, broad-breasted white and heritage when purchasing your turkey this year? Conventional turkeys are raised in scientifically designed, environmentally controlled barns that provide maximum protection from predators, disease and bad weather. These turkeys are typically sold fresh and frozen in supermarkets across the United States. Continue reading
If you would like to meet Sarah Palin, head to Carmel, Indiana, on Thursday, December 2nd where she will be promoting her book, “America By Heart”. She will be at the Meijer store, 1424 W. Carmel Drive, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. ET.
The Carmel visit is the only one listed in Indiana. The announcement was made on her Facebook page and her blog.
Thanksgiving, a day off from work, turkey and pumpkin pie, and football games. That’s how many Americans think of this day. But we should probably remember the day for what it was, a celebration held by the Mayflower Pilgrims in 1621. The Pilgrims had landed at Plymouth in November of 1620. A little over 100 persons boarded the Mayflower to sail to the new world, but only half survived the trip and the following winter.
We should remember names like William Bradford, Myles Standish, John Alden, and Priscilla Mullins. Those four were part of the group that founded the Plymouth Colony. And of course there’s the famous Indian Squanto who befriended the colonists, and taught them to plant, fish, and hunt in their new home. He also negotiated a peaceful relationship between the Pilgrims and the Indians. Then there was Massasoit, who brought 90 Indians to the first feast.
Even though some of the facts of the first Thanksgiving are challenged, it still is a great holiday. It’s a day to give thanks for all that is good, a day to give thanks that we live in such a wonderful country.
The unemployment report is out for October. Starke County went down in percentage, but went up in the state ranking. Starke County went from 11.3% in September to an even 11% in October. But the County moved from the ninth highest unemployment rate in the state to seventh in October.
Pulaski County and Porter County had the lowest rates in our area. Pulaski came in at 8.0% and Porter was 7.9%. Marshall was an even 10.0%; La Porte 10.6%; Fulton 9.2%; St. Joseph 10.6% and Jasper was 8.5%. Since the January report, Starke has dropped from 13.6% for the 11.0%; Pulaski dropped from 10.1% to 8.0% and Marshall dropped from 12.4% to 10.0%.
Rose Acre Farms is among the twelve Indiana State Poultry Association members who have donated 108,000 pounds of Indiana poultry products for Hoosier food pantries. A donation ceremony took place Monday at the Statehouse outside the Lt. Governor’s office. This event has gone on for 63 years. There are more than 253,000 households in Indiana who rely on food pantries to feed their families. 108,000 pounds of poultry will feed approximately 200,000 people.
The Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority encourage Hoosiers to pursue safe ways to stay warm this season.
Heating equipment was the second leading cause of home fires in the United States in 2008. More than 66,000 reported fires caused 480 civilian deaths, 1,660 civilian injuries and more than $1 billion in property damage.
The totals are in from this past weekend’s food drive at the Knox Mall. WKVI collected $2167.73, and 1,469 pounds of food. Added to that total of food is 1,125 pounds from Boy Scout Pak #281 in North Judson for a total of 2,594 pounds of food. A big thank you again from Joan Haugh and everyone at Community Services of Starke County who received the money and food for their food pantry.
The North Judson-San Pierre High School Choral Department has tickets available for this year’s Madrigal dinner on Friday and Saturday, December 3rd and 4th, at 7:00 p.m. CT and Sunday, December 5th, at 1:00 p.m. CT. All performances will take place at the Grand Central Station restaurant in North Judson.
This is the 20th year for the Madrigal dinner. For tickets, call Choir Director, Donna Ness, at (574) 896-2158 or (574) 896-5041.
Holiday traffic is expected to increase this year by about 11% from last year according to AAA. The average distance travelers will go is 812 miles, and the median spending will be $495.00. The price for gasoline has increased to an average of $2.89 a gallon which is the highest prices of the year as recorded by AAA.
Leave it up to Phil Potempa of the Northwest Indiana Times to come up with the ingredients to a Thanksgiving recipe from the late blond bombshell Marilyn Monroe. The actress was known for a lot of things, but cooking was never one of them. But Phil has found the ingredients in a new book about Marilyn entitled “Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, and Letters.” The ingredients were found on page 180 of the book and included water soaked sourdough bread, chicken livers and hearts, ground beef, hard boiled eggs, raisins, grated parmesan cheese, nuts, herbs, onion, parsley and celery. Now those are the ingredients. The only problem is Phil didn’t tell us how much of everything to use.
Police responded to an anonymous drug tip on Saturday afternoon that resulted in several felony arrests. Police arrived at 5880 W. 500 S. in North Judson where the home owner refused to allow police into the residence. After police left, a vehicle left the residence and passed the police. The driver was not wearing a seat belt and Mat Anderson from the North Judson Police Department attempted to perform a traffic stop but a short pursuit ensued. During the pursuit, items were thrown out of the vehicle. The items were located and taken into custody. The driver, Stephen Adrian Braasch, 28, of Argos, was arrested.
Beverly Powers, 72, of Winamac, passed away Sunday in Memorial Hospital in South Bend. Beverly, at one time, was in our profession writing first for The Leader and then the Pulaski County Journal. Her column “From My Little Corner of the Room” was a “ must read” of all who read the Journal regularly. She was involved with scores of organizations and in her lifetime, participated in many worthwhile causes in her community.
Our sincere sympathy goes out to the entire family.
Can you believe this? The Love Inc. Ministries sold 750 dozen cookies during their bazaar on Saturday. We wouldn’t have believed it either if director Wendy Medborn had not told us herself. What a great accomplishment and all of the money raised goes to the ministries programs in the community.
Love Inc.’s food drive gathered 40 grocery carts of food on Saturday. Food was taken to Ray’s Super Foods, N.J. Foods and Dollar General. All of the food was taken to the Food Pantry in North Judson.
Wendy asked us to thank everyone who contributed to both efforts.
The annual Starke County Ministerial Alliance community-wide Thanksgiving service has been scheduled for Wednesday, November 24th at the Knox United Methodist Church.
Pastor Art Good will present the Thanksgiving message and several musical selections will be offered by representatives of area churches. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. CT.
The Alliance uses the love offering taken at the service to fund expenses for gasoline, food and/or lodging when needy travelers pass through the community.
Hundreds of state and local law enforcement agencies were recently honored at the 16th Annual Operation Pull Over Awards Banquet at the Ritz Charles in Carmel, Indiana. The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office was among those agencies honored, taking home the award for Operation Pull Over, OPO Small Sheriff’s Department. The Sheriff’s Office also received a $1,000 Equipment Award to be used for the purchase of law enforcement equipment of their choice. The Sheriff’s Office has received awards in three of the past four years of participation in the Operation Pull Over Enforcement Programs.
Efforts conducted through Operation Pull Over rely on a dual strategy involving high-visibility enforcement and heightened public awareness aimed at deterring impaired and dangerous driving and increasing seat belt use.
Here are a few turkey facts for this year’s Thanksgiving:
Eight years ago today, a miracle happened on a basketball floor in Michigan City. Jessica (Neace) McCann, a Knox High School basketball player at the time, collapsed on the floor when her heart stopped for no reason. She would have died if it had not been for the quick action of a Michigan City coach and long time family friend, Jackie Estok. They literally brought her back to life.
Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent, Dr. Robert Klitzman, told the Board of a great achievement by the students and teachers at the Corporation.
“I received an email from the [Department of Education] that our School Corporation was going to be recognized in Indianapolis at a press conference as on of the top 25 School Corporations in the whole state in terms of growth on the Language Arts-Reading portion of the I-STEP and Math,” said Dr. Klitzman.
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