The Starke County Park Board is moving forward with the replacement of the gate house at the Bass Lake Beach. The structure was seriously damaged when a pickup truck reportedly crashed into it back in November. Starke County Building Inspector Terry Stephenson believes the accident, along with wood rot and the settling of concrete, has left the building unsafe.
Pulaski County Officials Considering Future of West Side Industrial Park Project
Plans to develop a rail-served industrial park on the west side of Pulaski County are not dead yet, but county officials are considering whether it’s worth moving forward. Continue reading
Preparations Continue for Move of Oregon Township Precinct 2 Voting Site
The Starke County Election Board is finalizing the move of the Oregon Township Precinct 2 voting site. Starting this May, voting will take place at the Koontz Lake Association Clubhouse.
Eastern Pulaski Schools to Upgrade Equipment with Rural and Low-Income Schools Grant Funds
Eastern Pulaski Schools’ STEM programs will get some new equipment, thanks to the Rural and Low-Income Schools grant.
Knox City Council Approves Grant Administrator Agreement with KIRPC
Knox City Council members considered a grant administrator agreement with Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission on Tuesday night. KIRPC representative Shawn Cain told the council that the agreement would be to assist the city with the OCRA grant they recently received for the Knox Parks 5-Year Master Plan.
Cain said the agreement would allow KIRPC reps to assist the clerk-treasurer with reports and claims and they’d also be available to answer any questions that the council members may have in the future. Cain added that there is a $2,000 charge for their services. Continue reading
Knox Board of Public Works Discusses Handbook
The Knox Board of Public Works members reviewed revisions to the employee handbook when they met Wednesday morning.
Culver WinterFest Schedule Taking Shape
Culver’s WinterFest event is set for February, but the possibility of a beer garden was brought before the Culver Town Council Tuesday night.
Organizer Tony Sellers told the town council members that he has shortened the operation time of the beer garden to 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. There was concern about having spirits available until 9 p.m. in the Culver Town Park. Alcohol will be available during the highly-anticipated ice sculpture fights during the same time period. The vendor will also be set back from any children’s activities and other family-oriented events.
North Judson-San Pierre to Host 2nd Annual Blue Jay Show Case Tomorrow, Residents Invited to Share Their Stories
North Judson-San Pierre will be hosting the second annual Blue Jay Showcase during Friday night’s girls’ basketball game versus Triton at the Jr/Sr High School.
Superintendent Dr. Annette Zupin invites all community members to come out and see the various things that NJSP students have been working on this year.
“It’s an opportunity for our students and teachers to display or demonstrate student work and programs.” Zupin explained, “So in the cafeteria, during the ball game, we will have just a variety of student work and programs.” Continue reading
Motorists Beware! Current Weather Conditions Ideal for Pothole Formation
As the weather continues to fluctuate between warm and cold, it can unfortunately cause ideal conditions for pothole formation.
Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler explained why the damp, dynamic conditions can result in these unwanted road hazards.
Ritzler said, “Potholes generally form from water on the road and it gets into the cracks on the roadway and then as the water turns to ice and it expands and then contracts and that expansion and contraction over time, causes the structure of the pavement to deteriorate.” Continue reading
Final Unemployment Rates of 2017 for Starke and Pulaski Counties
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development released the final unemployment rates for 2017 and Indiana’s rate stayed steady at 3.4 percent, still coming in lower than the national average of 4.1 percent.
In Starke County, the unemployment rate stayed consistent with the national average, and November’s figure by staying at 4.1 percent. However, Starke County’s unemployment rate for December 2017 is down from the same month in 2016, when was 5.3 percent.
In Pulaski County, December’s unemployment rate dropped slightly from November, moving from 3.3 to 3.1 percent. That’s down almost a point and half from the same time in 2016, when Pulaski’s unemployment rate was 4.5 percent. Continue reading
Starke County Park Board Seeks Proposals for Bass Lake Beach Operations
Ideas for operating the Bass Lake Beach are being sought by the Starke County Park Board. Board members decided Tuesday to issue a request for proposals from businesses or individuals interested in managing the beach area, the beach house, or both.
Pulaski County Courthouse Elevator Construction Bids Opened, Legal Settlement Considered
The Pulaski County Courthouse elevator is a step closer to getting replaced. Bids from three construction companies were opened during last week’s county commissioners meeting. They ranged from $489,000 to over $594,000. The bids will now be reviewed by Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Johnston, County Attorney Kevin Tankersley, and representatives from Keystone Architecture, before the commissioners make a decision.
Meet the New Director of the Starke County Public Library System
The Starke County Public Library has a new director! Community members will have a chance to meet Director Kathleen Bowman next month when the library hosts a meet-and-greet.
Bowman started in December of last year but she said the library board has been giving her some time to get acclimated to the area and the position before holding the welcome party. Continue reading
Culver Town Council Considers Donation to Marshall County Council on Aging
The Marshall County Council on Aging is stepping up efforts to gather funds for transportation services for the county’s veterans, disabled, and older population.
Jackie Wright from the Marshall County Council on Aging explained to the Culver Town Council members Tuesday night that the organization wants to meet the growing needs of the public and more funding can help expand routes and possibly add another route to service community members. She said that they had over 600 denials last year as not all requests could be handled due to availability.
North Judson Town Council Members Include 3% Raise in Amended Salary Ordinance
The North Judson Town Council members met for a special session to discuss the town salary ordinance prior to their regular meeting last week.
Members approved three percent raises across the board for the council, clerk-treasurer and department heads. The only position that remained unchanged was the park caretaker position.
Town Marshal Kelly Fisher requested forgoing her raise and giving it to her full-time officers. Continue reading
Knox City Council Members Approve Revised Employee Handbook
In order to discuss the employee handbook, Knox City Council members held a joint work session with a member of the Board of Public Works last night.
Steve Dodge served as the representative for the BOW. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained that the firm HR Unlimited was hired to help revise the current employee handbook.
Houston said a new handbook was needed not only due to changes to state requirements but also because multiple versions of the handbook were floating around. He said over the years, people have amended it for various departmental needs but city officials felt it was time to have a standard for everyone to go by. Continue reading
Culver Community Schools Staff Working to Incorporate New Graduation Pathways
Last year, the Indiana State Board of Education and the Graduation Pathways Panel came up with new graduation requirements and laid out some graduation pathways that local educators are working to incorporate into their schools.
According to Culver Superintendent Karen Shuman, to address these changes, staff members participated in professional development on Monday, January 8th. Continue reading
Winamac High School Principal Updates School Board on Warrior Academy, Spanish Curriculum
Winamac High School’s alternative learning program continues to expand each semester. That’s according to Principal Rick DeFries.
Knox Board of Public Works to Meet Today
The Knox Board of Public Works will meet this morning where the board members will get an update on two unsafe properties.
The owner of 1 and 3 N. Main Street, Pete Milev, is anticipated to give the board an update on repairs needed to that downtown building. Knox Planning Administrator and Director of Building and Code Compliance Kenny Pfost told the board members last month that a timeline was provided for repairs. Milev was given until May 2018 to complete extensive repairs to the exterior masonry and interior violations. There are smaller improvements that should have been done by Jan. 12.
Police Looking for Missing Knox Female
Knox Police are seeking the public’s help in finding a missing female. Barbara McCurdy was last seen Sunday, January 14 at 7:00 p.m. in Knox. She was wearing a pink Carhart-style jacket and blue jeans. Police believe she is driving a black 2006 Chevy Cobalt with Indiana License Plate CK3142.
