The Oregon-Davis School Board members reviewed quotes or a copier lease during their meeting Monday night.
Superintendent Greg Briles explained that the current lease agreement is almost over and two proposals were gathered for consideration. Chris Smith from Monticello had a quote for Xerox machines and the Adams Remco company in South Bend provided a quote for Toshiba copiers.
Parents of youngsters with autism are encouraged to attend a community meeting this evening in Plymouth to gauge interest in the establishment of an Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy center in Marshall County. Lighthouse Autism Center currently has facilities in Warsaw and Mishawaka. Co-founder and Controller Sandy Maggioli says they offer intensive, one-on-one therapy for children with autism.
“Typically a child will receive between 20 and 40 hours of therapy per week. There is no age requirement, but typically we try to get to children who are in the preschool age of three to four years old to prepare them for school, but we also see clients that are in school as well,” Maggioli said. “We may pull them out of school for a period of time to get intensive therapy and then transition them back into the school environment.”
The Knox Board of Public Works members received an update on two properties that were recently ordered for demolition.
Cleon Wagner presented the board with a statement of a timeline for the clean up of the property at 353 E. Mound Street. Outside work has been done and the building has been sealed. Building Administrator Bruce Williams said he has looked at the foundation in the basement and it looks pretty solid. The Wagners explained that it will be six months or so before all of the work is done, but the building will be remodeled and the property will be cleared of blight.
Knox Elementary School has a new science club program. Members meet once every seven school days with science teacher Marge Wood. Students get to visit the outdoor lab and see different forms of wildlife in the area. A pond with minnows and frogs is also part of the lab. Approximately 120 kids have signed up to be in the club. Principal Glenn Barnes says the students are really getting into the program.
An Ontario County, New York grand jury deliberated less than an hour to reach a decision in the case involving the death of 20-year-old Kevin Ward, Jr. on Aug. 9 at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in New York.
According to a statement released by Ontario County District Attorney Michael Tantillo on Wednesday, the grand jury determined that there is “no basis to charge Tony Stewart with any crimes”. The case was “no-billed” by the grand jury.
Starke County Road 800 East will be closed for the next couple of months in order to accommodate a bridge replacement. LaPorte Construction Company submitted the lowest bid to replace the bridge over Eagle Creek. The project will cost the county about $300,000.
Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler tells WKVI News 800 East is closed between 25 North and 50 South to accommodate the work. Detour signs are posted and direct motorists to use 700 East to get around the closure.
The Knox City Council members tabled discussion on the use of the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center for free meals catered by local church groups.
The request was made by Deb McIntire who offered the idea that the community center be used one day a week for four hours to prepare and serve free meals. The members of different churches would take turns each week and clean up afterwards.
The Oregon-Davis School Board members are looking at a balanced calendar for the 2015-2016 school year.
Superintendent Greg Briles gave the board a couple of different calendars to study to possibly make a decision at their October meeting.
The public is invited to tour the new North Judson Town Maintenance Building. An open house is scheduled tomorrow afternoon from 4:30 until 6 p.m. The new building is located at 710 Railroad Street on the west side of town. It features a three-bay garage and will replace the dilapidated structure located near the town park on George Street. North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says light refreshments will be served at tomorrow evening’s open house.
The unemployment rate in Starke County dropped another two-tenths of a percent in August to 6.3 percent which ranks the county 16th in the state.
Pulaski County reported the same type of drop. The county stands at 4.2 percent in terms of unemployment which ranks the county 87th in the state. Marshall County reported a rate of 5.2 percent, LaPorte County had 7.0 percent, Fulton County had 5.4 percent , St. Joseph County had 6.4 percent while Porter County had 5.9 percent.
The Plymouth Community School Board members may have spent a good chunk of change for security upgrades at all of the school buildings, but according to the Director of Safety and Security, it was money well spent.
“I think we took a layered approach,” stated Phillips. “We’ve looked at identifying who is coming into our buildings and for what purpose. The camera systems have been widely talked about and they have given us a new opportunity not only to make sure that our grounds are safe but we’ve also been able to assist law enforcement in a few cases that they’ve called us about.”
The Food Finders Mobile Pantry is headed to Francesville for the first time.
The food giveaway day is Friday, Oct. 3 at 11 a.m. ET at 229 S. Bill Street, behind the Von Tobel building.
Those eligible will be able to take home frozen meat, beverages, snacks, baked goods, vegetables, and cereal. Residents are encouraged to take a laundry basket or box in order to carry the food home.
Homecoming and College Go Week are keeping Knox High School students busy. Activities have been developed by guidance counselors to help educate students about colleges. One of those activities includes a college fair to be held today during lunch.
Students will get to visit with different college representatives to fill out applications free of charge and to ask questions. Principal Dr. Elizabeth Ratliff said they have set up a great opportunity for the students to get information on their futures.
A series of classes to quit smoking are planned at the Life Plex in Plymouth. Eight sessions will be provided once a week on Monday evenings starting Oct. 6th at 6 p.m. EDT. The program format encourages people to work on the process of quitting smoking both as individuals and as a group. Continue reading
A gas station employee in LaPorte told police there a customer tried to make a purchase with a counterfeit $20 bill Sunday evening. The clerk at the Citgo Station at 104 E. Lincolnway checked the bill with a counterfeit pen and verified it was a phony. The clerk notified the police, told the customer and asked him to wait until the authorities arrived. Continue reading
Work on the new bridge over Eagle Creek is under way. LaPorte Construction Company won the bid to replace the bridge on Starke County Road 800 East. Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler tells WKVI News 800 East will be closed between 25 North and 50 South for the next couple of months. Take 25 north to 700 East down to 50 South and back to 800 East to get around the road work. Detour signs are up.
The driver of a moped that crashed on 1100 East north of State Road 8 last evening was airlifted to South Bend Memorial Hospital. The Starke County 911 Center got several calls about the wreck around 5:45 p.m. Continue reading
IU Health Starke and LaPorte Hospitals are in search of health care delivery partners to provide the best care possible to the residents they serve. IU Health Starke President Craig Felty says they’ve sent out requests for proposals and are keeping their options open.
“Our goal would really be to maintain a relationship with IU Health,” Felty said last week during an interview at WKVI. “We cherish that relationship, but we also just identify that over the years as health care has changed we need to look for somebody additional who might be able to help us meet that need.” Continue reading
Superintendent A.J. Gappa reported that balanced calendar discussions for the 2015-16 school year continue with other area schools, many of whom have expressed interest in a coordinated calendar. That schedule would feature four nine week sessions and
two-week breaks at Christmas and in the Spring, with the school year ending around Memorial Day. Continue reading
The Oregon-Davis School Board members held a public hearing for the 2015 budget during their meeting last night.
The General Fund budget was budgeted at $4.6 million. The General Fund takes care of the salaries for the staff, including coaches and extra-curricular coaches and more. Board member Lee Nagai stressed that the General Fund had a shortfall due to state budget cuts and the referendum money supplemented that fund to cover salaries.
Other funds discussed include the Capital Projects Fund, Transportation Fund, Debt Fund Plan, Retirement/Severance Bond, Debt Service Fund, Referendum/Exempt Operating, Rainy Day Fund.
Superintendent Greg Briles explained that the Average Daily Membership, or ADM, is 609 which is higher than the state-projected student count of 580. Briles added that the corporation is three students down from last year.
The tax rate will be 1.5702 which is less than 2014.
Briles said the budget will be sent to the state. The board approved a motion to authorize any cuts that are mandated by the state.
