A Tie Vote in Primary Election Creates Unique Situation

 
 

The Primary Election solved several contested races, but one interesting issue came up when the votes were counted in the California Township Advisory Board race on the Republican ticket.

Three candidates were to be chosen and four candidates filed to run for that office. Steve Ahlenius received the most votes with 72 and Matt McGowan, Sr. received the second most votes with 63. The last two Republican candidates, Michele Albon and Phill Cherry, received the same number of votes at 53 which created a tie for that third candidate to be considered for a seat on the California Township Advisory Board.

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Pulaski County Officials Considering Payroll Software

Pulaski County CourthouseThe Pulaski County Council and Commissioners want more information about a proposed electronic payroll system for county employees before committing to the expense. They have several options to consider, including electronic swipe cards and fingerprint recognition keypads for employees to clock in and out. Auditor Shelia Garling says such a system would much more efficient than the manual time cards and reports the county is currently using. The data will first go to the auditor’s office for review before it is sent to Adaptasoft to process payroll, taxes and direct deposits. Garling says this will alleviate the hassle of processing paper payroll reports and would cut down on the time department heads spend compiling that information from time cards. She told the council she would like to have the software in place by Oct. 1 if possible. The council and commissioners plan to discuss options more thoroughly in a joint session before making any decisions.

Starke County Crossing School on Track to Open Aug. 1

The CrossingThe Crossing accredited alternative school in Starke County is moving along, according to Executive Director Rob Staley.

He told WKVI News that several community meetings have been held and he’s encouraged about seeing the leaders that are jumping on board in support of the school. He noted that there is a great need in the community to help educate students who may have been expelled, dropped out or home-schooled.

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Concrete Bid Approved for 50/50 Sidewalk Program in Knox

  
 

The Knox Board of Public Works members approved a bid for the 50/50 sidewalk program in a special meeting on Thursday morning.

The board approved the lowest conforming bid from Covenant Concrete in the amount of $22,395. That includes all 12 properties and the ADA compliant accessible curbs for properties at 55 E. Lake Street, 53 E. Water Street and 707 S. Shield Street. The city is responsible for paying for the ADA accessible curbs.

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Indiana Senator Introduces Bill to Help Charities

U.S. Sen. Dan Coats
U.S. Sen. Dan Coats

A bill sponsored by an Indiana lawmaker would require the Internal Revenue Service to notify nonprofit organizations before revoking their tax-exempt status. U.S. Sen. Dan Coats says the lack of notification creates uncertainties for charities, their donors and the people they serve. Under current federal law, charities and other nonprofits automatically lose their tax-exempt status if they do not file annual information returns for three consecutive years. The returns must be filed, even if the charity receives minimal money. According to Coats, 11,600 charities and nonprofits in Indiana have lost their tax-exempt status since 2010 because of this provision. It was originally enacted to clear defunct nonprofit organizations from the government’s tax rolls. Coats adds many community and faith-based organizations have stepped in to fill voids left by government spending reductions. If they lose their nonprofit status they have to file for tax-exempt status again and run the risk of losing donors while waiting for approval.

INTERVIEW: Tayler Malsam

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Tayler Malsam drove this truck to a fifth place finish in the SFP 250 at Kansas Speedway

Tayler Malsam had good run in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Kansas Speedway on Friday, May 9 and he’s got another 11 races this season to prove what he’s got in the No. 32 Chevrolet for Turner Scott Motorsports.  Listen to this Behind the Wheel interview to see what else he’s been up to in the racing scene: Taylor Malsam Behind the Wheel

Driver Airlifted to South Bend After Wednesday Morning Wreck

 
 

The driver of a car that ran off the road, struck an embankment and rolled over east of Knox early Wednesday morning is in serious condition at Memorial Hospital of South Bend this morning.

Brandon Owens, 29, was thrown from the car as it was rolling over, according to information released by the Starke County Sheriff’s Department. The vehicle rolled on top of Owens and back off of him, landing on its top. Owens was apparently in the field for several hours before a passerby noticed the accident and called for help. Starke County EMS and first responders from the Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department assisted a deputy from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department.

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Mark Carrington Sentenced in Forgery Case

  Mark Carrington was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court on Thursday.

Carrington pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the State to charges of forgery as a Class C felony and theft as a Class D felony. Judge Kim Hall accepted the terms of that agreement and sentenced Carrington to four years in the Department of Corrections with no part of the sentence suspended on the charge of forgery. On the theft charge, Carrington was sentenced to 24 months in the Department of Corrections with no part of the sentence suspended.

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Starke County Humane Society Staying Put

Starke County Humane SocietyThe Starke County Humane Society is still open for business six days a week. Longtime employee Shanna Lloyd was named the director last week after Suzanne Crider resigned and says it’s business as usual.

“We’re still here for the animals that need a place to stay. We’re still going to remain a nonprofit. We are privately funded. We are not supported by any government funding, so we still need those donations coming in to help us keep the doors open and keep us running so we can take care of all the stray dogs and cats in our area and even outside our area,” Lloyd told WKVI News.

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Pulaski County Council Approves Transfer for Sheriff

 
 

Pulaski County Council members reluctantly approved a balance transfer request from Sheriff Mike Gayer to pay overtime for the county’s two new K-9 officers. Both just completed six weeks of training with the dogs . Gayer’s request to move $9,000 from the salary to the overtime line item in his budget prompted a spirited discussion about the military surplus vehicles and other supplies he’s been acquiring for the county for the past few years and the expense involved in going to get them. Under the county’s agreement with federal government, they have to keep the vehicles for at least two years before they can be sold. Gayer says two of the older trucks recently sold for $20,000 at a surplus auction. Half of the proceeds went into the county’s general fund, and the other half were put into an account established by the commissioners to maintain the fleet. Before approving Gayer’s transfer request, the council unanimously voted to require the sheriff to provide a quarterly report of military surplus items owned by the county and a list of what has been sold off. Gayer did note during the discussion that the heavy-duty trucks in particular were a tremendous asset to the county during this winter’s blizzard. He estimates they pulled at least 100 stuck motorists out of snowdrifts when commercial wrecker services couldn’t get there.

Text-to-911 Now Offered in Starke County

text-911The Starke County Dispatch Center is launching a new way to notify dispatchers of an emergency.

The dispatch center is providing you with access to 911 through the use of text messaging.

The Text-to-911 service option is only a choice if calling 911 is not an option. Calling 911 is the most efficient way to alert dispatchers of an emergency. With a text message, it may take longer to dispatch emergency services due to delayed time in typing and sending a text between you and the dispatcher. Calling 911 may be a quicker option as dispatchers can get a location and other pertinent information in a swift manner.

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Hamlet Juvenile Charged in LaPorte County

 
 

A teenage boy from Hamlet was cited for a curfew violation early Wednesday morning by LaPorte Police.

They responded just after 3 a.m. to a report of suspicious activity at vacant home in the 1600 block of Stone Lake Drive. A witness told police a black vehicle with several young people in it had just left the area, but others were still nearby. Officers searched the adjacent wooded area, according to a news release, and found a bottle of cola and a bottle of alcohol. They also reportedly saw several juveniles walking nearby and found three 17-year-old boys and a 20-year-old woman hiding behind a shed in the back yard of a home in the 1500 block of Weller Avenue.

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Three Arrested for Drug Charges in LaPorte

Brett Curry
Brett Curry
Justin Jarrett
Justin Jarrett
Jillian Townsel
Jillian Townsel

Three LaPorte County residents were arrested Monday after police from the LaPorte County Metro Operations Unit and LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department found drugs in a vehicle during a traffic stop.

At 6:14 p.m., a passenger car driven by Justin R. Jarrett of Rolling Prairie, was pulled over for a traffic violation in the 1300 block of Pine Lake Ave. The police service dog, Rambo, indicated the presence of drugs. Officers searched the vehicle and allegedly found heroin in Jarrett’s possession.

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Eastern Pulaski School Board Approves Additional Appropriation for Change to Calendar Budget

 The Eastern Pulaski School Board held a public hearing during their meeting Monday requesting an additional appropriation.

The school board approved a change from a fiscal year budget to a calendar year budget. A fiscal year budget has an operation from July 1 to June 30.  With the change to a calendar budget, the school board won’t have funds to operate from July to December as the corporation makes the transition.

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Marshall County Police Find Meth and More During Traffic Stop

Joshua Ramirez
Joshua Ramirez
Tori Drubert
Tori Drubert

Formal charges are pending against a man and a woman in Marshall County after police there reportedly found drugs in their car after an early morning traffic stop. A vehicle driven by Joshua Ramirez was pulled over around 12:30 a.m. on U.S. 31 north of U.S. 6 in Lapaz. Marshall County K-9 Arras alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle, according to a news release from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department. Officers searched the vehicle and reportedly found 6 grams of white powder, several items used to make methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Officers also learned that the passenger, Tori A. Drubert, 18, had been consuming alcohol. Both Ramirez and Drubert were arrested on multiple charges, including dealing in and possession of methamphetamine and possession of precursors and drug paraphernalia.

Starke County Humane Society Board Names New Director

Starke County Humane SocietyThe Starke County Humane Society has a new director.

Shanna Lloyd took over that role on May 6 after longtime director Suzanne Crider resigned the previous day. Lloyd has been an employee of the shelter since 2009 and a volunteer since 1998. The board also reorganized last week and elected new officers. R.J. Howard is now the president. Tom O’Day is the vice-president, and Amanda Pollard is the secretary.

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Knox City Council Approves Burn Permit

Knox City Council
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council last night discussed a proposed burn permit to clear timber from the Industrial Park in Knox for expansion purposes.

Bob Aloi from Territorial Engineering explained the process of the air curtain that will be used at the site so smoke won’t be an issue. He said the contractor, Thomas Excavating, will dig a hole that will not exceed ten feet wide and an apparatus will be used to help circulate the air so the particles and smoke will not be seen so permeate into the air.

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