Drug and Tobacco Free Starke County and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are looking for former smokers to take part in a national tobacco educational campaign. The Tips from Former Smokers (Tips) campaign will feature real people who have had life-changing, smoking-related health issues. Continue reading
Marshall County EMA Director Clyde Avery told the commissioners this week that the county is eligible for the Emergency Management Performance Competitive Grant, but the equipment requested in the grant may not be approved by the state.
Avery explained that he would like to reevaluate the use of the grant if the state will not approve recording equipment that Avery feels is necessary for the Emergency Operations Center.
It wasn’t until Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 that I realized how much this new Chase format may be getting to some drivers and teams.
The tempers boiled between Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth after Kevin Harvick won the race and moved onto the eliminator round of the Chase.
With 63 laps to go on a restart lap, Matt Kenseth had a big run and Keselowski snuck up in front of him which caused Kenseth to smack into the wall. That incident caused Kenseth to drop from fourth to 18th and deeper in the field.
LaPorte Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a burglary that occurred at a residence in the 8000 W. block of County Road 400 North.
The two suspects left the area on foot by the time the officers arrived at the scene Friday morning. One of the suspects was taken into custody who was found walking along the road. That suspect had an active arrest warrant.
A second suspect ran into a wooded area adjacent to Creek Ridge County Park, according to a news release. A K9 unit responded to the scene and a track was initiated.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a burglary that occurred Friday morning in the 7000 block or Redwood Road.
Police say some unknown person(s) used a small metal tabled to break a window in order to get into the residence. The suspect(s) reportedly stole a 32” television and a mount for the television. No other items were missing, but it appeared the suspect(s) went through drawers in the kitchen and in the bedroom, according to a news release.
If you know anything about this incident, call the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department at (574) 936-3187.
Starke County’s first attempt to shred obsolete files and records was successful in terms of both volume and cost, according to the county commissioners. A committee reviewed records and approved the ones to be shredded. County Maintenance Supervisor Jim Coad says they got rid of nine tons of paper for a cost of $2,222.76. Continue reading
Pulaski County Recorder Christi Hoffa put in a request to the county commissioners this week for a part time person to scan documents into the Doxpop system.
Hoffa said she and her staff have been able to take care of documents here and there, but another person to do just this duty would greatly help efficiency in her office.
“With the installation of Doxpop and our current scanned images being available online, we are finding from abstract companies and title searchers that it’s great that it’s online, but we don’t have quite enough information online to really be able to assist them,” Hoffa explained. “Generally, they have to a 50 year search. We would like to have a part-time person and it would be to speed up the process of getting more documents available online and to be able to aid these title searchers in having the information online.”
The Marshall County Commissioners approved the 2015 pay schedule and the 2015 holiday schedule.
Auditor Penny Lukenbill explained that the year is unique in that there are 27 pays for the year and budgets had to be moved around to accommodate that extra expense. The pay schedule begins Jan. 2.
The holiday schedule was also approved in which the county offices will be closed on Jan. 1, Jan. 19, Apr. 3, May 5, May 25, July 3, Sept. 7, Nov. 3, Nov. 11, Nov 26, Nov. 27, Dec. 24, Dec. 25. Lukenbill stated that the county will follow the state’s holiday schedule.
Fulton Industries Inc. has announced the sale of their building on Fort Wayne Road in Rochester. American Axle and Manufacturing Inc. took over as owners on Wednesday Oct. 8th. Continue reading
Starke County Highway Department employees remained accident free this summer. Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the commissioners this week there were no reported accidents or injuries between June 21st and September 21st. Highway department employees drove more than 89,000 miles and spent quite a bit of time doing road work that required traffic control during that three month period. Continue reading
The West Central School Board recently approved the addition of a Theater Arts class to the curriculum for the second semester.
Superintendent Don Street explained that more focus on English/Language Arts forced the cancellation of the class, but the class will be revived.
“Now we have an opportunity to have a Theater Arts class where the kids will learn about acting and study different plays,” said Street. “We put that back into our curriculum. That will be a one, nine-week class because we’re on a block schedule. We have some students that have some interest in that. We have a teacher that will be able to teach that. That’s a fine arts credit which counts toward an Academic Honor class for our students.”
Robert Corbin’s case will go to trial.
Corbin appeared with his attorneys Friday morning for a status hearing in his case in Starke Circuit Court. Indiana Supreme Court justices unanimously reversed an Indiana Court of Appeals’ decision recently to dismiss the case where two felony counts of attempted child seduction were filed against Corbin.
Starke County voters can learn where candidates for local office stand on issues during a series of weekend forums. Larry and Deb Wappel are sponsoring the events in Knox, North Judson and Hamlet. She says the candidates will be asked tough questions about things like their leadership philosophy, what sets them apart from others running for the same office and how they will pay for any sort of new program or service they are proposing. The candidates were given the prepared questions in advance. Audience members will also have a chance to submit written questions for the candidates. A bipartisan panel will screen them and make sure they are respectful. Continue reading
A mother and son were sentenced in Marshall County Superior Court No. 1 on Thursday for their involvement in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
Denise Dalton, 49, of Akron and her son, Keith Dalton, 22, admitted in open court that they conspired with each other and two other suspects to purchase methamphetamine precursors for a meth lab.
Officers from the LaPorte City Police Department are investigating reports of gunfire in the 200 block of E. Jefferson Avenue.
Residents reported hearing about five gunshots in the area on Saturday. One witness told police that a muzzle flash was seen coming from the area. Others reported seeing someone walking from the scene and a vehicle leaving the area.
Another witness told police that they saw two subjects yelling and running from the area shortly after hearing the gunfire.
The Marshall County Commissioners received some good news this week.
County Attorney Jim Clevenger told the board members that the prospective sale of the jail bonds to refinance the previous bonds went really well. Lower rates and hard work by Umbaugh and Associates and County Auditor Penny Lukenbill helped save the county $639,000.
The five members of the Starke County Park Board will have plenty of reading material prior to their first meeting. The Starke County Commissioners are sending them welcome packets, which will include copies of the state statute under which the board was formed and the state law pertaining to camping on public properties. One of their first challenges will be to decide whether to allow year-round camping at Bass Lake Beach and Campground. The park board members will also get a copy of the management lease between the county and Richard Callahan. The board is charged with oversight and management of the Starke County Forest and other county-owned public lands.
The Pulaski County property tax sale was recently held and 29 properties were sold. Deputy Auditor Holly Hoover told the commissioners this week that 150 properties were not sold and she would like to have a commissioners deed sale to sell these properties.
She noted that most of the properties have been up for sale for many years and it’s time to get these back on the tax rolls.
“The difference between the property tax sale and the commissioners deed sale is that instead of a one year redemption when a buyer buys a piece of property at the property tax sale the owner has one year to redeem the property. With a commissioners deed sale, there would be a 120 day redemption. We want to get these properties that have gone unpaid for years back on the tax roll,” explained Hoover.
