The Starke County Commissioners this week discussed a number of issues with the Bass Lake Beach that need rectified. Commissioner Dan Bridegroom told his fellow commissioners that he had gotten in touch with one of the owners and expressed his concerns with the beach.
A Hamlet man was arrested after threatening his brother with a knife.
In the overnight hours Tuesday morning, Hamlet police were called to 609 Davis St. where a call had come in from a woman saying her intoxicated son reportedly tore up the house and he had a knife.
The relocation of the Pulaski County Assessor’s Office is getting nowhere fast, as the county commissioners this week told Assessor Holly VanDerAa that they don’t feel comfortable with allowing a basement wall to be knocked out to allow her to expand her office. In light of the can of worms that the courthouse bell tower repair project opened up, Commissioner Ken Boswell said that the commissioners want to have an engineer or architect take a look at the wall that would be removed to ensure that it would not compromise the integrity of the historic courthouse.
The Starke County Planning Commission at their regular October meeting heard a request to reduce a building permit fee from Attorney Todd Wallsmith on behalf of American Oak.
American Oak is looking to construct a new 100,000 square foot building, but with the current fee schedule, Wallsmith said they would be looking at a cost of $20,000 for the fee. This five-figure cost, Wallsmith explained, highlights the commission’s need to rework their fee schedule which is currently set at $0.20 per square foot.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department is investigating yet another armed robbery incident at the Bottle Stop Liquor Store in Lapaz.
On Friday night, officers were called to the store at 107 N. Michigan Rd. after a white female allegedly displayed a weapon and demanded that the employee remove money from the cash register. She was last seen wearing black pants, black coat and a scarf.
If you have any information regarding this incident, call the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department at (574) 936-3187.
This is the third armed robbery incident at the Bottle Stop Liquor Store in Lapaz this year.
It’s Election Day! Make sure to make the effort to vote in this important election. Every vote counts, and with more than 2500 absentee votes filed in Pulaski and Starke counties, votes are already being made.
According to Pulaski County Clerk Tasha Foerg, 846 total absentee votes were filed in Pulaski County this election. In Starke County, more than 1800 absentee votes were tallied, including 1399 in-office absentee votes, 39 votes through the travel board, and 393 votes were mailed in.
The polls are open today from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. We will have Pulaski and Marshall County results for you live tonight shortly after 5 p.m. CT. Starke County results will be given after 6 p.m. CT. Election night coverage is brought you exclusively by Zingo Express and the newly re-opened station at Koontz Lake.
A Plymouth man was arrested on drug charges Sunday after a traffic stop on U.S. 30 east of West County Line Road.
A Marshall County Sheriff’s Department deputy pulled over a vehicle driven by 41-year-old Jason R. Baker for an equipment violation. K9 Officer Brandon Cooper brought his K9 Arras and the dog indicated that narcotics were in the vehicle.
A very frustrated Jim Kuiper, president of Kuiper Masonry, Inc., vehemently assured the county commissioners last night that he is using the correct mix of mortar to repair the crumbling bell tower according to specifications for historic buildings.
County Maintenance Director Morry DeMarco had put a halt on the work being performed by Kuiper because of what he called a number of “red flags.” DeMarco said the first indicator that something was amiss with the repairs when he noticed Kuiper hauling mortar up to the tower, and when DeMarco asked for a sample of the mortar, DeMarco said Kuiper told him that the mix was not ready and he would bring DeMarco an appropriate sample. Further, DeMarco said he was uneasy with the repairs because Kuiper refused to grind out old mortar from several sections of wall in the bell tower that DeMarco felt needed to be replaced.
The Starke County Commissioners this week received an update on county radio tower repairs from IT Director Joe Short, who explained that the county’s insurance claim of $13,165.84 for damages from the storms in June and July has not yet been paid. He said they’ve already performed repairs on antennas near Washington Township, Bass Lake, and Koontz Lake, but a vendor was unable to perform repairs on a unit in San Pierre. Short said that unit was ultimately replaced.
Those making property tax payments will have until Nov. 13 to pay the fall installment. Starke County Treasurer Linda Belork explains the situation.
“Normally our tax deadline is Nov. 10, but the 10th falls on a Saturday and we’re not open,” explained Belork. “Monday is a Veteran’s Day holiday so the Commissioners have closed the building. So, our normal tax day this year will be Nov. 13.”
There is an outdoor drop box where you can drop off your property tax payments. As long as you have the payment in that box or in the office on or before Nov. 13, you will not be counted as delinquent.
For more questions, call the Starke County Treasurer’s Office at 772-9111.
The West Central School Board discussed the building grades recently distributed by the state. West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon had given out preliminary grades in September and they stayed the same despite being reviewed.
“The high school is at an A, the middle school a C and the elementary school is at a D,” said Mellon. “At the elementary school just a couple of years ago, we were an exemplary school so we knew that there was work to be done there. I think we have to concentrate on some of our specific population.”
Grant applications are now being accepted for those organizations that address marijuana and alcohol abuse through treatment, prevention and enforcement in Pulaski County.
The Pulaski County Drug Free Council has grant money available that is gathered through the collection of drug interdiction fees from those convicted of substance abuse offenses. This money is distributed as grants to various agencies that addresses substance abuse issues in Pulaski County.
I have mentioned the Grand Kankakee Marsh before. My father was born north of Hamlet in 1893 on an “island”. Any little sand knoll or rise out of the water of the marsh was called an “island”. All of the islands were named. There was Crab Island, Coon Ridge, White Woman’s Island and on and on. These names are often mentioned in the old history books, but very seldom identified as to where they are.
Before 1900, the only way my father and his family could get to Hamlet (the nearest trading area) was by boat. Or perhaps in a real dry season, by horseback. Or walking in the winter time on top of the ice. Grandma didn’t really like this type of pioneer living, so eventually she and Grandpa sold the land and moved to Knox in 1897. Grandma liked a little more social life. Remember, no cell phones, not even a land phone, no TV’s, no radios, no mail service out in this location. They were on their own.
That was before the area was drained.
A new documentary has just been produced about this marsh, which included much of Starke County. It is called Everglades of the North – the story of the Grand Kankakee Marsh. A promo of this great video can be seen at – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh6RWgyDnJw&feature=player_detailpage.
The full one-hour program has just been released and can be viewed:
Monday, November 5 on WYIN, Lakeshore Public Television in Merrillville, IN – 8 p.m. CST.
Thursday, November 8 on WNIT Public Television in South Bend at 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST).
Former Starke County Historian, Marvin Allen, was interviewed at our museum by the production crew, and will appear in the film. This story is part of Starke County history. I hope you enjoy it.
Jim Shilling
Starke County Historical Society
A Knox man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court last week to the felony offense of Accessing with the Intent to View Child Pornography.
In December 2011, the Starke County Sheriff’s Department investigated allegations that 41-year-old Jeffrey Farmer was involved in a child molestation incident and officers obtained a federal search warrant to search his computer. Agents discovered images depicting child pornography. Charges were brought about as a result of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Custom Office of Homeland Security Investigations, Starke County Sheriff’s Department and the Hammond Police Department.
Sentencing in this case has been set for Feb. 4, 2013.
In their meeting today, the Marshall County Commissioners will discuss allowing the county’s GIS data to be used in an update of the City of Plymouth’s comprehensive plan.
According to the minutes of the last commissioners meeting, the update is being prepared by Ratio Architects, Inc. which has given written assurance that they will not use the data for any other commercial purposes.
The initial hearing for a woman accused of trying to smuggle contraband into the Starke County Jail was held last week in the Starke Circuit Court.
Lindsey Dennis pleaded not guilty to a charge of Attempting Trafficking With an Inmate as a Class C felony and denied allegations that she had helped to hide a controlled substance inside a deodorant container to smuggle into the jail.
West Central Technology Director Rob Evans brought forth a recommendation to the school board last week regarding the one-to-one computer initiative.
West Central Superintendent Charles Mellon said the board is taking the next step forward.
Police arrested a Knox man Wednesday after he allegedly went berserk, knocking over furniture before grabbing a shotgun and threatening his girlfriend.
At around 12:25 p.m. on Halloween, Police were dispatched to 6611 E. Toto Rd. in response to a female caller who advised her boyfriend had “destroyed” the residence, broke her cell phone so she could not call police, and then left the residence with a shotgun. She told police when they arrived that she and her boyfriend, Brent Komon, had been arguing all morning, but he became belligerent and knocked over a five-foot-tall cabinet. The victim told police that she then left the residence to take her son to a doctor’s appointment, but as she was leaving, she noticed him carrying a gun into the residence.
It’s almost here! The 2012 General Election is tomorrow and millions of Americans will head to the polls to elect their leaders and representatives and make their voices heard.
A number of local school board races are contested and the voters will make their choices tomorrow. The Eastern Pulaski School Board has four candidates vying for three open positions in Monroe and Jefferson townships: Larry L. Beach, Deke A. DeMarco, Kevin Tankerslee and Rhonda L. Heims. Terri A. Johnston is running unopposed for Van Buren Township’s seat.
The General Election is tomorrow and you will have one more opportunity to vote absentee. Absentee voting will be available in the Starke County Courthouse today from 8 a.m. to noon CT and in the Pulaski County Courthouse from 8 a.m. to noon ET.
