It’s been a busy few weeks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as drivers and teams prepare for one of the greatest races in the world – the Indianapolis 500.
The groundskeepers and staff at the speedway are especially busy during this time of year. The crews are prepping the track for optimal racing and making sure the facility is just right for the thousands of fans from all over the world who flock to the racetrack to see this race.
Those wishing to be tested for abnormal heart rhythm, abdominal aortic aneurysm, blood pressure, fasting cholesterol and glucose levels, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, poor leg circulation, stroke and weight should pre-register for these screenings by calling 1-800-235-6204 ext. 2626. The screenings are provided in part by the Starke Health Fund of the IU Health Foundation.
This year’s keynote speaker is the superintendent of the Indiana State Police, Doug Carter. Carter was raised in LaPorte and graduated from LaPorte High School in 1980. He served 18 years with the Indiana State Police prior to being elected Sheriff of Hamilton County where he served two terms.
In Starke County, the Knox VFW will be holding their parade march on Memorial Day, May 27, at 9 a.m. beginning at the county courthouse where a short ceremony will be held. Following that, the group will march to Oak Hill Cemetery where they will hold another short ceremony to reflect on the fallen soldiers who fought to uphold our way of life.
Amy Dawn Banks, 37 pleaded guilty to the charge in a plea agreement with the state. Judge Robert O. Bowen sentenced Banks to 10 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections with no part of the sentence suspended.
Banks admitted that she was manufacturing methamphetamine in a home she shared with others on Main Street in Bourbon. An Indiana State Police officer arrived at the residence with a search warrant and found an active methamphetamine lab in the home, plus a loaded handgun, meth, drug paraphernalia and precursors.
One adult and one juvenile were taken into custody after Pulaski County police allegedly found drugs in a car after a traffic stop Friday morning.
A Pulaski County deputy was patrolling on U.S. 421 when he saw a vehicle operating without a working passenger side headlight or a license plate light. The officer pulled over the vehicle just south of Medaryville and found a 17-year-old male operating the vehicle. As the driver was attempting to locate the requested license and registration, the officer reportedly saw a marijuana cigarette in the vehicle.
Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman explained that the corporation will be applying for Title One and Higher Ability federal grants.
Superintendent Richard Reese presented the audience with a letter which he read aloud, written by a parent of an autistic child who wished to thank Rizek for helping the child show outstanding improvement throughout the course of the school year.
Rizek will now vie for the distinction of the state “Teacher of the Year” award, an award that had previously been given to the late Bob Mulligan, at art teacher at the corporation who won the award in the 1970s.
To receive a meal, the service member must be in uniform or present a military ID. A representative with McDonald’s stated that this is just a small way for McDonald’s to say “thank you” to the men and women who serve our country.
The offer is valid at participating McDonald’s restaurants in Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Marshall, Pulaski, Starke, and St. Joseph counties in Indiana, as well as Cass and Berrien counties in Michigan.
A fiery Friday afternoon crash on U.S. 35 in front of Stelrema closed the highway and sent one person to IU Health Starke Hospital to be checked out. It happened around 3:15 this afternoon. Jennifer Bye, 40, of LaPorte, was southbound on 35 in a Chevrolet TrailBlazer and slowed for a farm implement crossing CR 250 N. William Trent, 36, of Hamlet, was behind Bye in a Buick and was unable to avoid rear-ending her, spinning her SUV into a ditch on the east side of the highway. Trent’s car burst into flames. Neither driver was injured. A juvenile passenger in Bye’s car was taken by ambulance to the hospital as a precautionary measure. Firefighters from the Knox-Center Township Volunteer Fire Department extinguished the blaze. The heat was so intense a portion of the pavement beneath the car melted.
Judge Robert O. Bowen handed down the maximum sentence outlined in the plea agreement.
A former employee at a Fulton County business surrendered to officers at the Miami County Jail after a warrant was issued for her arrest. An Indiana State Police investigation revealed she stole more than $70,000 from the company for her personal use.
Indiana State Police Detective Josh Rozzi initiated an investigation after the owner of R&W Concrete LLC and R&W Excavating in Macy noted that an IRS audit and an internal audit found that several business checks were written for personal expenditures.
Jerome Williams, 39 of Dixmoor, Ill., pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the state to a charge of Dealing Cocaine. Judge Robert O. Bowen ordered him to serve 10 years on that count and suspended no part of the sentence.
Preliminary work is underway to develop an industrial park between Medaryville and Francesville in Pulaski County in order to take advantage of the area’s rail access. Economic Development Director Nathan P. Origer says the goal as stated in the 2010 “Pulaski County: Mapping a Path Forward” report is to draw agriculture and technology businesses to the area.
“Ultimately it’ll be an industrial park, but one that we hope will attract tenants, primarily in some way related to agriculture or otherwise complementary to existing business in the county, the county’s major sectors,” said Origer.
