The Starke County Commissioners on Monday morning held a public hearing to discuss the disposal of properties owned by the commissioners that will soon be up for tax sale. Treasurer Kasey Clark approached the commissioners and explained that of the 50 properties up for tax sale, two of them have been removed; 48 will be sold at 90 percent of their assessed value.
Mint Festival Gets OK From Town Board
The North Judson Mint Festival has taken another step toward preparing for the event; the town board this week approved a motion to authorize the issuance of a special event permit for the festival, during a short meeting held Monday night.
Marshall County Eligible to Participate in STEM Education Initiative
All schools in Marshall County are now eligible to participate in the regional STEM Education Initiative announced by Project Lead the Way officials along with the United Way of Marshall County and the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation.
Project Lead The Way is the nation’s leading provider of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs. Northern Indiana was selected to become a model region for Project Lead The Way where all K-12 schools, both public and private, in a five-county area, will participate with the opportunity to implement programs in engineering, biomedical science, and computer science.
Psi Iota Xi Hosts 19th Annual Young Artists’ Conference
The registration deadline for this year’s Starke County Young Artists’ Conference is approaching, but the Knox chapter of the Psi Iota Xi Sorority has announced they will likely be extending that deadline until Monday, March 10, rather than the current deadline of Friday.
Visiting Restrictions Lifted at IU Health Hospitals
IU Health has lifted visiting restrictions at IU Health LaPorte and Starke Hospitals.
The low number of positive influenza cases in the area and at the state level prompted the change in previous visitor restrictions.
The local facilities implemented the precautionary measures of visitor restrictions to protect patients, families and colleagues from unnecessary potential exposure to the flu virus in mid-January.
IU Health continues to encourage all visitors to use their best judgment when visiting a loved one in the hospital. If visiting someone in a hospital, make sure you are healthy. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.
Girls State Basketball Tickets Go on Sale Today, Community Pep Rally Thursday Night
The Oregon-Davis Lady Bobcats are going to play in the state girls basketball tournament in the Hulman Center on the campus of Indiana State University in Terre Haute.
Tickets for the game go on sale today at noon and are $15. Officials at the Oregon-Davis High School will have tickets available for purchase.
The student body will have a pep session for the girls team at the end of the school day on Thursday. A community send-off will be held for the girls as they leave the school for the tournament on Thursday evening at 5:30 p.m.
Oregon-Davis will play Vincennes Rivet Patriots in the state championship game on Saturday, March 8 at 9:30 a.m. CT.
House OK’s Measure to Allow Guns on School Grounds
Controversial legislation that would allow guns in vehicles on school grounds passed the Indiana House late Monday. It’s currently a felony to bring a gun onto school property, but Senate Bill 229 would allow those with proper carry permits to keep firearms out of sight in vehicles on school grounds. Nicki McNally with the Indiana Chapter of Moms Demand Action on Gun Violence says she’s disappointed and hopes some of the issues can be clarified in conference committee.
Two NASCAR Crew Members Reinstated
Ryan Hess and Curtis Martin, Jr. have been reinstated after their successful completion of NASCAR’s Substance Abuse Policy Road to Recovery Program.
On June 18, 2013, Ryan Hess, a former crew member in the Nationwide Series, violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing and Section 19 (violation of the NASCAR substance abuse policy) of the NASCAR Rule Book.
Curtis Martin, Jr., a former crew member in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, violated the same sections in the NASCAR Rule Book on Nov. 19, 2013.
Kurt Busch Will Run Both Indy and Charlotte Races on Same Day
Two months ago, he was only 70% sure he was going to run in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca Cola 600, but it was made 100% official today.
Kurt Busch will be running in both races on May 25. Busch will be racing for Andretti Autosport in the Indy 500 and then jump into his stock car that night to participate in the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for Stewart-Haas Racing.
Busch joins his boss Tony Stewart, plus John Andretti and Robby Gordon as the only drivers to compete in both races in the same day.
Tony Stewart last attempted the double in 2001 where he finished 6th in the Indy 500 and finished 3rd that night in the Coca Cola 600.
Starke County Sheriff’s Department Project Still On Track
The Starke County Building Corporation yesterday morning heard an update on the construction efforts at the new Starke County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center. According to the progress report presented at the meeting, a number of structure items – as well as those for mechanical, engineering, and plumbing – were completed last month, with more efforts underway this month to continue that work for at least the next four weeks. The report indicated that the work completed within the steel building last month included the continuation of the installation of structural steel and miscellaneous demolition as required. Crews worked on setting the hollow steel metal door and window frames, continued installing interior masonry walls, started metal stud wall framing and drywall installation, and received detention door frames. Continue reading
Starke County Highway Department Remains Busy
The Starke County Highway Department continues to stay busy with plowing efforts, as Superintendent Rik Ritzler yesterday morning told the commissioners that his department spent most of the month of February plowing, with 17 days of the month spent clearing roads. He said five of the days were spent hauling material, with the other days used for general maintenance.
Over the past two months, Ritzler said, the county has plowed nearly 100,000 miles, building a total cost of $561,000. Fortunately, he said they did spend less in February – but that may just have been because the month was shorter, Ritzler explained. Continue reading
Police Seeking Identity of Second Driver Involved in Injury Crash
Assistance is needed in helping to locate a semi and driver that were involved in an accident at the intersection of U.S 35 and U.S. 20 in LaPorte County on Feb. 28.
The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department is looking for a flatbed tractor-trailer involved in the accident. A woman driving a passenger car rear-ended the tractor- trailer and was trapped inside the car. Police believe that the driver of the tractor-trailer was unaware that the accident happened and left the scene.
Are You Ready for Severe Weather?
The only thing harder than being prepared is explaining why you were not! This is National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, which is a good opportunity to know your risk, take action and be an example. The Pulaski County Health Department is one of several agencies taking part in this call to action. Preparedness measures have been put to the test with this winter’s snowfall, and tornado season will be here soon. Pulaski County Health Department Preparedness Coordinator Sherry Fagner says knowing your risk of severe weather, taking action and being an example are a few steps you can take now to potentially save your life and the lives of others. Continue reading
Police Warn of Fraudulent Home Improvement Activity
A Plymouth man was recently charged with home improvement fraud after not completing a construction project that he had been paid to do.
According to an investigation with the Marshal County Sheriff’s Department, detectives received information that Glenn Manns, 28, was allegedly paid to seal a blacktop driveway and he failed to do the project.
Knox Sets Dates for Citywide Yard Sales
The dates are set for the annual City of Knox yard sale. This year the popular event has expanded from one to four days. They are Thursday, May 8 through Sunday, May 11 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Residents can host sales on any or all of those days without paying for a permit. Sale signs are limited to the ones available for purchase at city hall for 50-cents each. The Knox Moose Family Center is helping to sponsor the sales and will have maps, food and drinks available each day. Spaces will also be available for residents outside the city limits who would like to participate. Call 574-772-5712 for more information. Environmental Days will once again be held in conjunction with the sales. This is done so unsold and unwanted items can easily be thrown away.
Man Arrested on Four Outstanding Warrants
A Michigan City man was arrested on Saturday evening after a LaPorte police officer found Moore had four outstanding warrants out for his arrest.
Shaine Moore, 38, was pulled over in the 200 block of Pine Lake Ave. in LaPorte after an officer found that he allegedly displayed several traffic violations.
Plymouth Man Arrested Following Traffic Stop
A Plymouth man was arrested following a traffic stop near the area of Jefferson Street and Kingston in Plymouth on Sunday. According to a news release from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, a patrolman pulled over a vehicle driven by Jorge Terrones, whom the officer knew to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest through Marshall County. Continue reading
BBB Warns of Social Media Scams
Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are a great way to keep up with friends and follow sports and celebrities. They can also expose your computer to viruses and possibly make you vulnerable to identity theft. The Better Business Bureau recommends never installing a game or application you are not sure is legitimate. Also be careful when clicking on a link or video shared by a friend. Just because someone you know shared it, that’s not a guarantee it is safe to click. Go through your privacy settings and be aware of who is viewing your personal information and what they can see. The more personal information you share with the public, the easier it is for someone to steal your identity. Never give out personal information on sites you are unsure about. Always double check friend or follower requests, and do not automatically accept new requests. Always check the person’s profile and verify the request is from a real person. On Facebook, watch for posts containing poor grammar, as scheme Facebook posts are often full of typos and poor English. If you spot suspicious activity coming from a friend’s social media account, let the person know directly. If you suspect your account has been hacked, change your password, and do not share your new password with anyone.
Register Now for Computer Classes Offered by the SCILL Center
The SCILL Center is offering computer classes.
The first class will be on Tuesday, March 18 at 5 p.m. CT at the Starke County Economic Development Foundation in Knox. This will be an introductory class where students will learn computer software; terminology; using the mouse; selecting, inserting, deleting, saving, opening, and printing documents; creating folders, movement between windows, customizing a desktop and more.
Daylight Saving Time Starts This Weekend
The official start of Spring is still a few weeks away, but this weekend marks the start of Daylight Saving Time. Before you go to bed Saturday night, set your clocks forward one hour. An easy way to remember the time change is that we spring forward in the Spring. The idea originated with Benjamin Franklin in 1784 as a way to cut back on the number of candles being used for light by adjusting clocks.