Gas Prices Up Nearly 30 Cents Since Early May

Posted on Author WKVI
 

Motorists are still gritting their teeth as they head to the pumps, dealing with a spike in gasoline prices that has brought the Indiana average up to $3.98 per gallon – 35 cents higher than the national average of $3.63. Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, said a refinery glitch that resulted in lower production is likely to blame.

DeHaan explained that the glitch caused the affected refinery in the Great Lakes region to slow its production and forced it to purchase gasoline on the market to cover its contractual obligations.

Continue reading →

Starke County Landfill Still Exuding Methane Around Perimeter; Solution to Follow

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The county landfill is still exuding methane around the perimeter and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management is not happy about it. To fix the situation, Mike Maxwell from Weaver Boos Consultants told the commissioners that their best bet financially is to install vertical borings – essentially chimneys – in the landfill to help the gas vent vertically, cutting down on the methane exhaust around the perimeter.

Continue reading →

Pulaski Commissioners Discuss Call-Out Pay for Highway Dept. Employees

Posted on Author WKVI

Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Vice President Terry Young, and President Tracey Shorter
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Vice President Terry Young, and President Tracey Shorter
The Pulaski County highway superintendent is looking to have the handbook edited to allow for overtime when he calls highway department employees at home asking them to clear roads after a storm or other incident. Mark Fox told the commissioners that call-out pay is a necessity, stating that this week was a prime example; he called employees at 5:30 in the morning and sent them out, working outside their regular hours to clear roads and perform other maintenance to ensure the safety of residents.

Continue reading →

North Judson Mint Festival Featured in Webcast

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The upcoming North Judson Mint Festival is getting some exposure in cyberspace. Organizers of the Father’s Day weekend festival have taped a web segment for South Bend-based WNIT Public Television’s “Experience Michiana” program. This year marks the festival’s 36th anniversary. The theme is “Mint is Green in 2013.” Festivities begin Friday, June 14 with the carnival in the Catholic Church parking lot, music from Hoosier Highway at Norwayne Field starting at 5 p.m. prior to the father and grandfather of the year presentation. Afterward the Joe Feingold Project will take the stage at Norwayne Field.

Continue reading →

Marshall County Commissioners Approve In-Kind Contribution to CRC

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The Marshall County Commissioners entertained a request by Brent Martin and Ron Liechty to provide paving for a new parking lot for the Community Resource Center on Plum Street in Plymouth.

CRC officials are planning an expansion project to include a parking lot north to Jefferson Street plus additional building plans. Liechty stated that the company is expecting to add more citizen services in the way of Saint Joesph Health Center in the building and expansion is necessary. Plans include the demolition of a building to accommodate a 44-space parking lot for the center. Business is expected to triple with this expansion and the addition of the parking lot is necessary.

Continue reading →

IDHS Encourages Reporting Damage Caused By Storms

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The severe weather and flooding in the northern Indiana area caused some significant damage in affected areas and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security is encouraging Hoosiers who sustained damage since May 31 to report the damage online. The reports will help the department evaluate the situation and determine if federal assistance will be requested as a result of the weather.

Continue reading →

Marshall Co. Museum Brings New Perspective to Political Figures

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A new traveling exhibit has made its way to the Marshall County Museum from the Indiana Historical Society and it brings a whole new side to the political candidates who have traveled through the Hoosier state. Mindy Langdon, community relations for the museum, said the exhibit features 18 three-foot-wide free-standing exhibits that will be on display at the museum until June 27.

Langdon said the museum is blessed to have such a unique collection of photographs.

Continue reading →

Another Telephone Scam Hits Northern Indiana

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Another telephone scam is hitting the area.

The victim in LaPorte told police that he got a phone call at work from a man who identified himself as “Alex Rodgers of the Texas State’s Attorney’s Office.” “Rodgers” told the victim that he had an outstanding loan of $1,789 and that he was going to be arrested. He was instructed to obtain Green Dot cards from Walmart or Kmart and, once those cards were obtained, to call the number the suspect gave him. The victim was to provide the PIN numbers on the cards so they could be redeemed for the amount.

Continue reading →

Knox School Board Approves Handbook Changes

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Knox Community School Board took action to approve several handbook changes for the next school year.

Changes were made to the handbook regarding cell phone use. High School Assistant Principal Dr. Michael Bendicsen noted that the current handbook states that students are to turn off their cell phones and keep them in their locker throughout the school day.

Continue reading →

Local Pastor to Be Ordained As a Methodist Elder

Posted on Author WKVI

Rev. Matt Landry
Rev. Matt Landry
The pastor at the Winamac First United Methodist Church will be ordained this Saturday at the Indianapolis Convention Center.

Rev. Matthew Landry has studied for eight years and has gone through the preparation process in order to get to this step. When he is ordained during the “Celebration of Ministry: Commissioning and Ordination” ceremony, he will be the youngest ordained elder in the Indiana Conference.

Continue reading →

Arson Suspected in Winamac House Fire

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The Winamac Fire Department and the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s office are investigating an arson case at a home at 1172 W. 350 S. in the Winamac area.

Fire Chief Bill Weaver stated that the firefighters have been called to that abandoned residence four times. The Indiana State Fire Marshal was called to the scene after the fire started the second time and all accidental causes have been ruled out.

Continue reading →

Starke Commissioners Reduce Part-Time Employees to 130 Hours Monthly

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Rather than be forced to provide employees working an average of more than 30 hours per week with insurance benefits, the Starke County Commissioners this week passed a motion preventing part-time employees from working more than 130 hours per month beginning July 1.

The Affordable Care Act will require businesses with at least 50 employees to offer health insurance to employees working at least 30 hours per week. Those that don’t provide the required coverage will be forced to pay a $2000 penalty per worker, excluding the first 30 employees. The act doesn’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2014, but in order to determine which employees average enough hours to qualify for the benefits, employers will have to go back three to 12 months from Jan. 1, 2014. To counteract that, many employers, including counties, are modifying their salary ordinances early.

Continue reading →

Marshall County Commissioners Address Meth House Clean up Procedures

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Marshall County Commissioners discussed an inquiry by County Attorney Jim Clevenger Monday morning about the growing number of “meth homes” and the issues with cleanup.

Clevenger said he has been in contact with Wesley Burden from the Marshall County Health Department about the nature in which a home is taken care of after police have found an active meth lab on the premises. Burden explained that the state police clandestine lab team goes to the home and removes the harmful chemicals used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Those officers then notify the health department and the homeowner is required to have Indiana Department of Environmental Management contractors come in and decontaminate the structure. That home is uninhabitable until it has been thoroughly cleaned by IDEM contractors.

Continue reading →

Missing Johnson County Man Found Safe in Plymouth

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A person reported missing from Johnson County was found in Marshall County late Sunday night.

A Plymouth Police Department officer was called out to the area of North Michigan Street on a report that a man was in the road hitchhiking. When the officer arrived at the scene, he found a man wearing a camouflage coat and blue jeans in the middle of the road attempting to hitch a ride. An ID card revealed him as 58-year-old Lloyd Smith.

The officer ran Smith’s information in the database and found that he was reported missing from Johnson County. He spoke to Smith’s family and they were relieved to learn that Smith was okay. Smith’s brother and niece immediately made their way to the Plymouth Police Department to pick up Smith and take him back home.

Pulaski Commissioners Approve Server Replacement

Posted on Author WKVI

Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Vice President Terry Young, and President Tracey Shorter
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Vice President Terry Young, and President Tracey Shorter
The Pulaski County Commissioners this week accepted a change order from CenturyLink that increased the 911 system project cost by nearly $22,000. RB Walters of DeGroot Technology told the commissioners last month that these change notices required their approval and the commissioners approved them pending council approval. Since then, the council gave their blessing, and the commissioners this week proceeded with accepting the change orders.

Continue reading →

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers Signs Relay for Life Proclamation

Posted on Author WKVI
Mayor Rick Chambers and Relay for Life Event Coordinator Samantha Sims
Mayor Rick Chambers and Relay for Life Event Coordinator Samantha Sims

The Starke County Relay for Life is this Friday and Saturday at the Starke County Fairgrounds in Hamlet. Opening ceremonies are at 6 p.m., the luminaria ceremony is around 9:30 p.m. Friday night and several fundraisers are planned throughout the event. Several teams have signed up to help in the fight against cancer.

Continue reading →