Judge Rejects Plea Agreement in Case of Connie Miller

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The recommended plea agreement in the case of Connie Miller was rejected by Special Judge Jerome Frese in St. Joseph County Court Monday morning.

The recommendation was that Miller plead guilty to three counts of Theft which would be served concurrently. Those sentences would then be suspended to be served on probation with one year of home detention through Starke County Community Corrections. The restitution amount would be $52,044 as a settlement between Miller and the Attorney General’s Office.

Continue reading →

Plymouth Farmer Dies in Field Accident

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A Plymouth farmer died Monday when his clothing got caught in a shaft connecting an engine and a pump on an irrigation device in one of his fields west of LaPaz. Rick Pertics, 61, of Plymouth told his wife he would be tending to his irrigation equipment overnight, according to Marshall County Deputy Coroner Les Trump. Family members went to the farm Monday when they couldn’t reach Pertics by telephone and found his body next to the irrigation equipment. Trump says the time of death is uncertain but confirms that Pertis died of severe internal injuries. Final autopsy results will be ready in about six weeks.

 

Pulaski Council, Commissioners Discuss Personnel Policy

Posted on Author WKVI

Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Vice President Terry Young, and President Tracey Shorter
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Vice President Terry Young, and President Tracey Shorter
The Pulaski County Council and commissioners met in a joint session last night to discuss the personnel policy, particularly holiday pay and paid time off for sheriff’s department and EMS employees. Paula Reimers of Wagner, Irwin & Sheely appeared before the two boards in an effort to get the mess sorted out, and a lengthy discussion followed.

Because the county has 119 employees to worry about, the county council and commissioners would be hard-pressed to find a policy that would suit everyone’s needs, and the council sought changes to the policy to ensure fairness between departments. Reimers expressed to the boards that some important questions that needed answered regarding the policy included whether or not 12-hour shift employees would receive 12 or eight hours’ pay for holidays, whether those working on holidays would receive time and a half, and whether or not to allow employees to “bank” their holiday time.

Continue reading →

Marshall County Police Arrest One in Traffic Stop

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Marshall County Police arrested a man Saturday after a traffic stop.

A vehicle driven by Mark W. Elder was pulled over on U.S. 30 east of State Road 17 for an equipment violation. After further investigation, the officer found that Elder was a Habitual Traffic Violator.

Elder was taken into custody at the scene and transported to the Marshall County Jail where he was booked on a preliminary charge of Operating a Vehicle after Lifetime Suspension, a Class C felony.

Elder was initially held without bond, but after a judicial review, his bond was set at $10,000 cash.

Starke County Planning Commission to Consider Fee Schedule Revisions

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The Starke County Planning Commission will be holding two public hearings on May 15 at 6:30 p.m., including one public hearing to consider a revision to the Starke County Fee Schedule in accordance with Indiana Code.

According to Commission Clerk-Secretary Pamla Starkey, the Planning Commission will discuss a revision to the fee schedule to add a demolition permit, do away with roofing permits, and add a permit for electrical inspections that are required after electric service at a building has been turned off for at least 90 days. Starkey explained that the commission has reviewed the fees on an annual basis, but no changes have been made to the schedule ordinance in a number of years.

Continue reading →

Knox, North Judson Raise More Than 6000 Pounds of Food for Pantry

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry is still weighing and sorting the food donated by the Knox and North Judson communities following the Stamp Out Hunger campaign organized by the Campbell Soup Company and the National Association of Letter Carriers. On May 11, Americans were asked to put nonperishable food items in a bag near their mailbox to allow letter carriers to pick them up and donate the items to local food pantries across the nation, stocking the shelves of food pantries in America just in time for summer.

Continue reading →

Starke County Highway Dept. to Begin Mowing Monday

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Highway Superintendent Stephen "Rik" Ritzler
Starke County Highway Superintendent Stephen “Rik” Ritzler

Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler has announced that the highway department will begin mowing county rights-of-way on Monday, May 20, and will continue through the summer. He said it is important to remember that for safety reasons, workers will be mowing up to five feet from the county right-of-way, and at each intersection, they will mow 50 feet in each direction and back 10 feet. He said most items have been cleared from the rights-of-way, but any items that are still in the mowing path will be dealt with on an individual basis.

Culver Schools to Participate in Summer Food Service Program

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Culver Community Schools have announced that they will be participating in the Summer Food Service Program, providing free meals to children 18 years of age and under and to adults enrolled in a state-approved educational program for the mentally or physically disabled. The program was created to serve nutritious meals to children when the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program meals are not available.

Continue reading →

Starke County Triad Places Drop Box at Starke County Sheriff’s Department

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Chief Deputy Brack Rowe and Joan Haugh, Executive Director for Community Services of Starke County place unused medications in the newly-installed and secured pill drop box located at the Starke County Sheriff's Office entry.
Starke County Chief Deputy Brack Rowe and Joan Haugh, Executive Director for Community Services of Starke County place unused medications in the newly-installed and secured pill drop box located at the Starke County Sheriff’s Office entry.

A new secured drop box for unwanted prescription medication has been placed in the lobby at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department.

Starke County Triad raised funds to purchase a permanent drop box for residents who would like to dispose of their unwanted, unused and expired prescription medications. Those medications can be placed in the box at any time at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department on Pearl Street.

No liquid medications or needles will be accepted.

Community Services of Starke County plans on applying to the Drug and Tobacco Free Starke County for a pill drop box for the North Judson Police Department as well. The Knox City Police Department has a secured and monitored pill drop box in the department’s lobby and you are able to drop-off medications 24 hours a day and seven days a week at that location.

Indiana Department of Education Releases Graduation Rate Data

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Indiana’s high school graduation rate went up from 2011 to 2012, according to data released by the Indiana Department of Education. State officials are reporting two different graduation rates due to differences between state and federal reporting requirements. The federal rate is lower because fewer students are exempted from the cohort. Statewide, Indiana’s 2012 graduation rate was 88.38 percent, up from 86.61 percent in 2011. The federal rate for 2012 was 87 percent. A complete breakdown of graduation rate data can be found at http://compass.doe.in.gov.

Governor Signs Dermody Graduation Bill, Other Education Legislation

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A bill sponsored by Representative Tom Dermody, R-LaPorte, aimed at helping students finish college on time is now law. It was one of several education bills signed recently by Governor Mike Pence. The new law provides incentives for students to stay on track towards graduating with a bachelor’s degree in four years or an associate degree in two years. Students who graduate from high school with an academic honors diploma will earn increased higher education awards. Additionally, public colleges and universities are now required to commit to on-time degree pathways for each student and to bear the costs of any additional credits needed to complete the degree if the student follows the map and maintains a satisfactory GPA.

Continue reading →

Pence Set to Sign “Senior Consumer Protection Act”

Posted on Author WKVI
Indiana Governor Mike Pence
Indiana Governor Mike Pence

Governor Mike Pence is set to sign a bipartisan bill aimed at protecting some of Indiana’s most vulnerable residents. The Senior Consumer Protection Bill was prompted by a spike in the exploitation of senior citizens, which rose by 80 percent from 2001 through 2011 according to the Indiana Division of Aging. Senator Tim Lanae hopes the measure will encourage seniors, friends and family members to seek advice from an expert.

Continue reading →

Local Schools Named 4-Star Schools

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Several schools in the Kankakee Valley area were announced Monday as Indiana’s 4-Star schools for 2013.

In order to achieve this designation, a school must be in the top 25th percentile of schools in the ISTEP+ testing results.

Eastern Pulaski Elementary School in Winamac, John Glenn High School in Walkerton, F. Willard Crichfield Elementary School in LaPorte, Saint Peter’s Lutheran School in North Judson, Webster Elementary School in Plymouth, and West Central High School in Francesville were all recognized as being 4-Star Schools.

A total of 313 schools in the state received this honor.

Judge Rejects Miller’s Plea Agreement

Posted on Author WKVI

Scales of JusticeA special judge in South Bend has rejected former North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Connie Miller’s plea agreement. Jerome Frese told Miller he will not accept anything less than six years as punishment for the theft of more than $74,000 in public funds from the town of North Judson between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2011.

The plea agreement would have sentenced Miller to three years on each count to be served concurrently and each of those sentences would be suspended to be served on probation. As part of the recommended plea agreement, Miler would be required to pay court costs, probation fees and serve one year on home detention through Starke County Community Corrections. She would also have to pay restitution of $52,044.

Again, that plea agreement was rejected by Judge Frese. A hearing in the matter has been set for June 7 at 10 a.m. ET in St. Joseph County.

Whitney Products Likely to Close Permanently

Posted on Author WKVI
Whitley Products
Whitley Products

A deal to keep a Plymouth manufacturing plant open has apparently fallen through. WSBT-TV reports that negotiations between AMI Incorporated and Whitney Products have fallen through because the sides are too far apart. Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter tells the TV station AMI officials notified him on Friday that they couldn’t reach an agreement. This latest development likely means Whitney is closing its Marshall County plant for good. About 50 people work there. The company sent WARN notices to employees earlier this year alerting them to the possible closing. The Warsaw-based company makes precision tubular products for diesel engines, agricultural equipment, off-highway, construction equipment and HVAC markets.

iPad Purchases Leave Commissioners Budget Short

Posted on Author WKVI

Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Vice President Terry Young, and President Tracey Shorter
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Vice President Terry Young, and President Tracey Shorter
The purchase of eight defibrillators for office buildings in Pulaski County hinges on the council’s willingness to appropriate funds for the potentially life-saving devices. Commissioners approved the expenditure last week. However, they don’t have funds readily available to make the purchase, having spent nearly their entire discretionary budget on iPads. Council members repeatedly refused to purchase the tablet computers for the commissioners and finally told them they can spend money in the commissioners budget without obtaining the council’s permission. If the council approves that expenditure when they meet tonight, it will still need to be advertised and approved at their June meeting.

Plymouth Plan Commission Approves “Shell” Building Plat Changes

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
In an effort to attract new investment into its industrial area, the city of Plymouth is moving forward with its manufacturing shell building project on the city’s northwest side. The Plymouth Plan Commission recently voted in favor of making some modification to the plat of land proposed for the building along Pioneer Drive near the corner of Commerce Street to improve access.

Continue reading →

Long Beach Manager Thanks District 2 Task Force

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
During the recent Marshall County Commissioners meeting, Marshall County Commissioner Deb Griewank read aloud a letter presented to the District 2 Task Force from the Long Beach, N.Y. area.

The letter was written by the City Manager of Long Beach Jack Schnirman in which he thanked the immediate response of Indiana’s District 2 Task Force in their time of need after Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc in that area. Members of the Incident Management team set up camp and helped coordinate emergency efforts in stabilizing the conditions in the city.

Continue reading →