Starke County Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Bombagetti is working on an emergency preparedness plan for all of the county’s buildings.
He’s told the commissioners community corrections and the jail have turned in their plans, and he’s got one for the annex and courthouse. However, Bombagetti says he’d like to add more detail and make sure the wording is consistent throughout.
The onset of storm season has brought an ongoing issue for the Pulaski County Health Department back to the forefront.
Director of Environmental Health Terri Hansen says they desperately need a generator in case of a power failure so their $80,000 worth of refrigerated vaccines don’t spoil. The county recently acquired two 400 kHz military surplus generators, but they are not compatible with the building’s existing infrastructure.
Now that spring is finally here, many people are taking walks, jogging and riding bicycles on local roadways. In doing so, they may inadvertently come across the toxic remnants of a methamphetamine lab. The byproducts of meth production are also flammable, corrosive and acidic and could cause an explosion or burns if they come into direct contact with the skin. Officers with the Indiana State Police Meth Suppression Section say people who cook the drug are using a variety of containers. One that’s become popular is the 1.5 gallon gas can. If you find one that looks new along the roadside, there’s a good chance it’s a working meth lab.
Plastic pop bottles and glass or plastic jars are also used to make meth. An empty container with granular material and possibly a tube coming out of the top is extremely hazardous. Battery casings, zipper sandwich bags and empty cold medication blister packs are also signs of recent meth production. Continue reading
The Knox City Council members approved a transfer to help cover the cost of snow removal.
Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston told the city council that the street department did what they could, but they have gone over budget in the snow removal line item. The contractor that removes snow in the downtown area also worked harder this season and charged a little more.
The Knox Community School Board members discussed the air conditioning units at the middle school during their meeting this week.
Superintendent A.J. Gappa said the units are getting older and showing some great wear and tear. The company has offered the corporation a special program.
The Marshall County Commissioners heard a report from Marshall County Economic Development Corporation Board Chairman Bill Davis.
Davis explained that 2013 was one of the best years in Marshall County. Over $25 million in investments and businesses came into the county last year. The county has also seen a drop in unemployment and an increase in personal income.
As temperatures continue to improve and we move further into the spring season, construction projects are beginning and pothole patching continues. The asphalt plants will soon open to create product.
Asphalt plants will be opening a little later this season due to the unusually difficult winter. INDOT representatives have been told that the cold and poor traveling conditions have delayed prep work for the summer paving season. The prep work is necessary before the plants can open.
The Hamlet man whose trailer was destroyed by an early morning fire Tuesday is jailed on numerous drug charges after local police officers reportedly found a meth lab in the rubble. Hamlet Police arrested David Salyer, 45, at 2:10 Tuesday morning on preliminary charges of manufacture and possession of methamphetamine, possession of two or more precursors with intent to manufacture methamphetamine, false informing and maintaining a common nuisance. The Hamlet Volunteer Fire Department responded at 12:34 a.m. to 504 North Starke Street, lot 10 and left at 2:18 a.m., according to dispatch records. The Koontz Lake Volunteer Fire Department was called in to assist. Continue reading
The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department is on the lookout for a wanted sex offender.
James W. Adams, 31, is wanted on a charge of Failure to Register, a Class D felony. Adams was convicted in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin of third degree Sexual Assault of a Child in 2001. He was identified as an Offender Against Children with lifetime requirement to register with law enforcement.
Adams first registered in LaPorte County in 2009 and in October 2013 he told the sheriff’s office he was homeless. Since October of 2013 he had been registering as homeless every seven days as required but he last registered in mid-February but has not been seen or heard of since. He was last seen in the Michigan City area.
The Knox Community School Board members discussed entering into a contract with The Crossing alternative school during their meeting this week.
Superintendent A.J. Gappa said The Crossing is a second-chance opportunity for students who have dropped out of high school, been expelled or transitioned to home school. Education is delivered in a way that best fits students.
Gappa confirmed that the board is moving forward to help those students.
None of the Pulaski County government buildings have fire alarm systems tied in to the 911 system to immediately notify the fire department in the event of an emergency, and the courthouse does not have any sort of sprinkler system in place. Those issues were raised during Monday’s county commissioners meeting when Teri Hansen from the health department asked why the fire alarm system at the annex building on Riverside Drive does not go anywhere. Maintenance supervisor Jeff Johnston says he will look into the cost of doing hard-wiring it to the dispatch center. He says the annex building at least has a zoned sprinkler system in place. “If there’s a fire on the third floor, only the third floor suppression goes off,” Johnston said.
That’s more than the courthouse has in place, according to Johnston. “Over here, there’s nothing. If there’s a fire downstairs in the hallway, this is going to be a nightmare. This is something we’ve looked at. We’ve got battery- powered smoke detectors stuck on like you’ve got in your house.” Continue reading
Voters who cast ballots in one Starke County precinct will do so in a new location, starting with the May 6 primary. Clerk Evelyn Skronski told the commissioners Wayne Township 4 was previously located at the North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation Administration Building. School officials said it’s becoming too crowded and offered an alternative.
“They told us that we could use the atrium area at the high school,” Skronski said. “The east side has the handicapped parking and a lot of space. It’s got what we need. The only thing is we have these big, open windows that let in lots of light. That’s fine. They’re going to cover them so that candidates cannot stand out there and do whatever they do.” Continue reading
Attention sports fans. Don’t miss your chance to hang out with Chicago Tribune sports writer David Haugh and bid on some exclusive Chicago sports SWAG Saturday night. He’s headlining a tailgaiting party Saturday night at the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center to benefit a nonprofit organization close to his heart. His mother, Joan, is the executive director of Community Services of Starke County. Proceeds from “Tailgaiting with David Haugh and Charlie Adams” will all benefit the agency. Haugh says the organization was a part of his life when he was growing up in North Judson and is very important to Starke County because of all of the services they provide. He and former WSBT sportscaster Charlie Adams will be at the 5 p.m. event, which will include a live auction of a lot of sports memorabilia. Items up for bid include items from the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks and footballs signed by Chicago Bears players. The Chicago White Sox also donated items, and a signed Notre Dame Football will be sold as well. Continue reading
The Knox City Council members discussed a revised fee ordinance Tuesday night.
Under Section 1, Article VI, Sec. 4-251. Location improvement permit fees, a commercial/industrial permit for new construction, additions and remodeling will be left at $5,000. In a previous discussion, the members considered an increase to $7,500, but later determined the $5,000 fee was sufficient.
Mike Lintner from the Marshall-Starke Development Center provided an annual report to the Marshall County Commissioners on Monday.
In addition to his annual report, he brought a client to visit with the commissioners. Gilbert Harrington became a client in 2008 in the supported living program. He is wheelchair-bound and rents a room with two roommates in one of seven staffed housing sites. Sixteen people are in the residential program in Marshall County.
Secretary of State Connie Lawson will be the featured speaker at the upcoming Starke County Lincoln Day Dinner. It’s scheduled Saturday, April 26 at the Bass Lake Community Center.
Gov. Mitch Daniels appointed Lawson to that post on March 16, 2012. He called her the obvious choice because of the local and state elections experience she brings to the office. Lawson served in the Indiana Senate for 16 years prior to her appointment. Before that she was clerk of the Hendricks County Circuit Court for eight years.
Two road construction projects in the Kankakee Valley will hamper travel for a few days.
According to INDOT Northwest Media Relations Coordinator Matt Deitchley, U.S. 35 between Knox and Winamac will be closed for 10 to 20 days for a pipe replacement. Deitchley said the closure should begin at State Road 10 and go south. The project is expected to begin on Monday, April 14.
The exterior of the new North Judson maintenance building should be finished by the end of the month. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says town employees will complete the interior work. The new structure replaces the dilapidated building on George Street near the town park.
Speaking of the park, Henry says the town is looking for a seasonal caretaker to work through September taking care of mowing and maintenance issues there. Applicants can submit resumes to the town office through Friday, April 18. Continue reading
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department has two new patrol sergeants. Patrolmen Phil Beam and Nick Laffoon were selected through a numerical scoring system by the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department Merit Board. Beam is a 27-year veteran of the department and lives in the Argos area. Laffoon lives near Plymouth and has been with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department for nine years.
