Starke County Police to Conduct Sobriety Checkpoints

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Office, Knox City Police Department and Walkerton Police Department are teaming up to combat aggressive driving and impaired driving.

These officers working under the Starke County Traffic Safety Partnership consortium will be setting up sobriety checkpoints around Starke County to deter, detect and arrest drivers who are driving under the influence. Police will man the checkpoints on Saturday, March 17 between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. at undisclosed locations.

Continue reading →

Winamac Town Council Approves Fire Department Contracts

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

Three township fire department contracts were approved during the Winamac Town Council meeting Monday night.

Town Council president Tom Murray asked if the contracts were the same as last year. Clerk-Treasurer Melanie Berger confirmed that the contracts remained the same with Franklin Township paying $9,283.92 as an annual service fee, Rich Grove Township has a yearly contract fee of $3,664.38 and the contract for Tippecanoe Township lists a $2,174.42 yearly charge. Continue reading →

Kankakee River Basin Commission Votes to Fund Preliminary Repair Costs

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

When Kankakee River Basin Commission members met Thursday morning, they permitted a total of $254,000 to be paid to three counties in order to assist with immediate repair needs resulting from the recent flooding.

Initially, members considered having all funding requests submitted at a meeting that would be held within the next 30 days but a few members said there were some issues with that idea. Continue reading →

Pulaski Council Updated on Courthouse Elevator Replacement, Lawn Care and Snow Removal Costs

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

Preparations continue for the replacement of the Pulaski County Courthouse elevator. Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Johnston told the county council Monday the project is going well. “All the material has been ordered,” he said. “The demolition is going to actually begin the end of this month, the last week of this month.”

Continue reading →

Check-In Procedure to Be Added to Knox Spring Clean-Up Days

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

Mayor Dennis Estok alerted Knox City Council members of some changes that will be made to procedures for Spring Clean-Up Days this year.

During Tuesday night’s city council meeting, Mayor Estok said there were some issues with last year’s event.

“Basically we are changing the format on that,” Estok explained, “last year, we went through a record-high 8 dumpsters at a cost of four thousand some dollars. Probably fifty or sixty percent of the stuff coming in was from out of town residents.” Continue reading →

Winamac Police Officer Takes Course to Become a Certified Firearms Instructor

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

Winamac’s Police Department will soon have an officer certified in firearms training once Officer Tyler Campbell completes his training.

A Monday’s Winamac Town Council meeting, Town Marshal Mike Buchanan shared that Campbell is attending a week-long firearms class. He said Campbell’s certification will assist the Winamac PD with future training. Continue reading →

Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum May Consider Leasing Erie Trail to Starke County

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger
 

Bringing the North Judson Erie Trail under Starke County’s control is something the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum might be willing to consider. The museum owns the trail, but Starke County’s five-year park plan suggests that the county lease it and operate it as a park facility. Starke County Park Board President Roger Chaffins said Tuesday that he spoke with the museum’s president, Cory Bennett, and Bennett seemed open to resuming discussions.

Continue reading →

Oregon-Davis Superintendent Discusses Upcoming Referendum with Hamlet Town Council

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

Oregon-Davis School Superintendent Dr. Don Harman went to the Hamlet Town Council Wednesday to spread the word about the upcoming school referendum. If approved, the measure would add a property tax of up to 29 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for an eight-year period. It would replace a 19-cent tax that’s set to expire in 2019.

Continue reading →

Starke County Economic Development Foundation Appoints Larry Wickert As Executive Director

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger
Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Larry Wickert (SCEDF Photo)

The Starke County Economic Development Foundation has decided to keep Larry Wickert as its executive director. Wickert has been serving as interim executive director since the beginning of the year. Now, the foundation’s board of directors has decided to make his appointment permenant, according to a press release issued Wednesday.

Continue reading →

Two Sentenced in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

Two people were sentenced Wednesday morning in Starke Circuit Court.

Dallas Sheets, 19, of Knox pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the state to a charge of residential entry as a Level 6 felony. He admitted to entering his father and step mother’s house without permission and took a futon. The incident occurred on Sept. 19, 2017. Sheets was sentenced to 12 months in the Starke County Justice Center. That sentence was suspended to be served on probation. Sheets will have to complete all programs recommended by the Starke County Probation officers. If he violates his terms of probation, he will have to serve the remainder of his term in the Starke County Justice Center.

Continue reading →

Starke County Park Board Gets Two More Proposals for Bass Lake Beach Operations

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

The Starke County Park Board continues to hear from people interested in operating the Bass Lake Beach. The entire beach and campground is currently run by Callahan Development, LLC, which leases it from Starke County. But the company said it may be willing to give up control of the beach itself, to allow it to focus on the profitable campground and pier slots.

Continue reading →

Culver Town Council Holds Rezoning Public Hearings

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

The Culver Town Council members conducted two public hearings to consider rezoning requests for two properties.

If approved, the BP Good Oil gas station on 203 and 213 Main Street will undergo a renovation project. According to Developer Kevin Berger, the plan is to demolish the house at 213 N. Main Street and extend the convenience store into that area. The current building may be partially demolished in the process to make way for an improved store front. The store front will face southeast as opposed to the current eastern facing.

Continue reading →

Eastern Pulaski School Board Approves Purchase of Phase Loss Protection System

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

The Eastern Pulaski Community School Corporation is taking steps to protect its equipment from electrical problems. On Monday, the school board approved the installation of a phase loss protection system. “Last year, if you recall, we had a problem with storms and power, and when you knock out one phase on a three-phase system, you can basically have some damage, which we did – $14,000, $15,000 worth, I think, something like that,” explained Superintendent Dan Foster. “We did go to insurance and we got a lot of that back, but this is a way to protect that.”

Continue reading →

Winamac Town Council Discusses Inconsistencies in Proposed Employee Handbook

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

The Winamac Town Council members postponed the first reading of their employee handbook ordinance due to some inconsistencies with grievance procedures.

According to Clerk-Treasurer Melanie Berger, the town pays the Indianapolis-based company New Focus a $125 annual maintenance fee to update the employee handbook as laws change. While reviewing the document prior to Monday’s meeting, Councilman Dan Vanaman brought some conflicting information to Berger’s attention. Continue reading →