Zachary Signs with IUSB

Kaitlin was joined by her parents Jim and Karen, as well as Knox coach Jake Skelly, Athletic Director Phil Owens and IUSB coach Jamie Ashmore-Pott.
Kaitlin was joined by her parents Jim and Karen, as well as Knox coach Jake Skelly, Athletic Director Phil Owens, and IUSB coach Jamie Ashmore-Pott.

 

Knox Senior Kaitlin Zachary signed her letter of intent to continue her volleyball career at Indiana University South Bend on Wednesday. Zachary had an outstanding high school career for the Lady Redskins receiving All-Northern State Conference 1st Team honors in both her junior and senior seasons and was also named the team’s MVP as a senior. A three sport athlete at Knox High School, Kaitlin has also excelled on the basketball court and the softball diamond for the Redskins. She will be joining older sister Janyl as well as former Knox graduate Kierstynn Combs on IUSB’s roster next fall. Congratulations to Kaitlin Zachary of Knox on making her college choice!

Kaitlin signs her letter of intent.
Kaitlin signs her letter of intent.
IUSB head coach Jamie Ashmore-Pott makes the signing official.
IUSB head coach Jamie Ashmore-Pott makes the signing official.

PMH CEO Makes Local Rounds

 
 
Pulaski Memorial Hospital’s new CEO is making his rounds to get acclimated to his new community. Tom Barry has been on the job a few months and says he’s excited to continue his healthcare career in Winamac.

“I was in Lafayette at Home Hospital for about 10 years, and then just south of Indianapolis for almost 10 years,” Barry told the Winamac Town Council. “Most recently I was in a small critical-access hospital in Eldorado, Ill. which makes Pulaski Memorial look like the Taj Mahal.”

Barry added that PMH is a “real gem” and said he’s very impressed with the quality of programs and care offered locally.

Man Pleads Not Guilty to Attempted Trafficking with Inmate in Starke Circuit Court

Starke County Courthouse
Starke County Courthouse
Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall held the initial hearing for Christopher Gross yesterday, when Gross pleaded not guilty to the charge of Attempting Trafficking with an Inmate as a Class C felony. Gross is accused of being part of a plan to bring contraband into the Starke County Jail, when Lindsey Dennis allegedly helped to hide a controlled substance inside a deodorant container to sneak it in.

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Knox City Police Squad Car Wrecked; Insurance Reimbursement Pending

 
 

A sobriety checkpoint held at Talmer and Schricker avenues in North Judson Friday night didn’t lead to any arrests, but it did end badly for one Knox police officer when he struck a deer and totaled his squad car. Knox Mayor Rick Chambers told the city council at their meeting this week that the accident totaled the 1997 Crown Victoria squad car, which he said had around 100,000 miles on it at the time of the accident.

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Pulaski County Council Approves Fire Dept. Radio Purchases

 
 
Five firefighters in Pulaski County are currently without radios due to an increase in department staffing, and EMA Director Larry Hoover approached the county council this week with a request to purchase six additional 800MHz radios to allow them to get to work protecting the county. Hoover told the council that three fire departments have increased in size enough that they no longer have enough radios to supply every firefighter with one and requested them to approve his purchase to allow them to safely begin fighting those fires.

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Drug Testing for Welfare Repicents Not Accepted by All Groups

 

The Indiana House recently voted to require welfare recipients to face drug testing. This year‘s bill would not automatically cut off benefits to those who flunk; instead, they‘d have to enter a treatment program in order to stay on the rolls.

Flunking two tests in a four-month period would trigger a three-month suspension of benefits. All welfare recipients would answer a questionnaire assessing whether they’re predisposed toward substance abuse. Those marked as at-risk, or those who have faced drug charges in the past, would be subject to random drug tests.

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Marshall County Community Encouraged to Report Meth, Child Abuse

 
 
Community members in Marshall County are encouraged to notify the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department and the Indiana Department of Child Services of incidents of suspected methamphetamine production and use. Marshall County ranks high in meth abusers and meth labs. There is also a rise in illegal prescription drug use in the area.

Marshall County ranked ninth in the state for most labs seized with 42.

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IU Health LaPorte Physician Receives National Honor for Diabetes Care

Dr. Joseph Arulandu
Dr. Joseph Arulandu
A doctor at IU Health LaPorte Physicians Primary Care recently received honors from the Diabetes Physician Recognition Program for providing expert care to patients with diabetes. This announcement comes from the National Committee for Quality Assurance and the American Diabetes Association, who proclaimed Dr. Joseph Arulandu as the only physician in La Porte and Porter counties to have received this honor for three consecutive years since 2006.

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Sen. Coats Teams Up for Hire a Hoosier Vet Job Fair

  
 
Hoosier employers will soon have the opportunity to discover the skills and talents of Indiana’s veterans, as Senator Dan Coats has announced his partnership with several organizations in hosting the seventh annual “Operation Hire a Hoosier Veteran” Job Fair, planned for April 10 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Coats said it is the duty of state officials to do everything they can to help their brave veterans re-enter the workforce, and said he hopes all Hoosiers will help spread the word about the event. He expressed Hoosier veterans bring unique skills, leadership abilities and experience that can benefit the workplace, making them valuable, hardworking employees.

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West Central Approves Change to Facility Rental Fee

West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon
West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon
The West Central School Board approved a change in the facility rental agreement. Superintendent Charles Mellon said the fee will include the services of the custodian and cafeteria personnel and one additional charge.

“That change was to include the rental fee which includes the employer share of FICA that will be paid for by the renter,” said Mellon. “We had always paid for that as a corporation, but we’re trying to find different ways to cut back a little bit and save a little money.”

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Arnold Sponsors Proposal to Expand Officer Training for Alzheimer’s Patients

Senator Jim Arnold
Senator Jim Arnold
A House measure sponsored by State Senator Jim Arnold of LaPorte seeking to improve public safety training for police officers recently passed through the Indiana Senate. Arnold said this bill would complement the training officers receive for various situations by creating better guidelines for how they respond to people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, allowing law enforcement to safely interact with those suffering from the conditions.

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Internet Casanova Trial Date Set in St. Joseph County

Raymond Holycross
Raymond Holycross

The Marshall County man known as the Internet Casanova has a date with justice on May 30. Authorities say 29-year-old Raymond Holycross used several aliases to woo women from the west coast to the Midwest and separate them from their money. A Mishawaka woman who met him online last fall called the police when she realized he had pawned her camera. Holycross, who told her his name was Ray Parris, claimed he worked for the Huffington Post and traveled a lot. She bought him a phone, which he used as a virtual little black book, according to court documents. He remains jailed in St. Joseph County on a theft charge, as he has yet to scrape together the $1,000 cash necessary to bond out of jail. Holycross also faces charges of stealing a handgun and some electronics from a Kokomo woman he met online. He’s also wanted on an identity theft charge out of Oregon. Authorities there say he raided the bank account of a woman he dated there.

Winamac Council Gives Tentative Blessing to Hotel Developer

Winamac Town Hall
Winamac Town Hall
Area travelers could have a new place to hang their hats by the end of the year after the Winamac Town Council gave a tentative blessing to a proposed 44-room hotel. Wisconsin-based Cobblestone Development wants to open a hotel for business travelers in Winamac. Developer John F. Seibert says the proposed 44-room facility would be comparable to a Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn.

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Monterey Bridge Project Getting Underway

 
 
Traffic signs are now being placed along the areas that will be affected by the Monterey Bridge 291 project to alert travelers of the impending construction of a new bridge on County Road 625 East in Pulaski County.

That was one of the first actions to take place in the Monterey Bridge project. LaPorte Construction Company will be constructing a new bridge directly next to the current bridge to allow for safer travel. The next item on the list of pre-construction plans includes an asbestos abatement which will be completed tomorrow.

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Pulaski County Auditor Makes Plea for Additional Help; Council Makes No Motion

  
 
The Pulaski County auditor’s office is still running ragged, according to Auditor Shelia Garling, who told the county council this week that her office is still running understaffed and requested an additional full-time employee.

The council, however, expressed their reservations regarding the hire of another employee, and suggested that Garling look into ways to cut down on the amount of work required in the office. The county will be installing a new time system to clock employees in and out, which would reduce the amount of work done in the auditor’s office. On top of that, the council recommended that Garling cross-train her employees, allowing them to handle multiple tasks within the office.

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Linda Berndt Steps Down from SCEDF Board After 17 Years

SCEDF Board President Bill Sonnemaker presented Linda Berndt with a plaque for her years of service to the board.
SCEDF Board President Bill Sonnemaker presented Linda Berndt with a plaque for her years of service to the board.
After 17 years of dedicated service on the Starke County Economic Development Foundation Board, Linda Berndt has stepped down to allow someone else to take her place. Berndt said it was an honor and a privilege to be a part of a board with so many like-minded intelligent people, but because of her responsibilities on other boards and her work, she felt she could no longer give the board 100 percent of her focus and thought it was time to let someone else have the opportunity.

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