State Budget Cuts Affect Knox Highway, Park Departments

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council is trying to come up with a solution to a problem that is not uncommon to them, but inconvenient all the same. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston told the council that he received a notice from the State Board of Accounts detailing their budget order and explaining what amounts each budget would receive.

Houston explained that on the whole, the budgets are looking good, but there are two budgets that will need to be reworked due to cuts from the state. The Motor Vehicle Highway Fund, with a balance of $413,131, was cut by $24,536 – not a hefty cut, but still a hindrance. The Park Department’s budget was also cut by $11,135 for a total budget amount of $146,358 – another small cut, but park officials are calling it another obstacle to their five-year plan.

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Pulaski Commissioners Discuss Dilapidated County Building

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Vice President Terry Young, and President Tracey Shorter

The Pulaski County Commissioners this week tabled a discussion regarding an old, run-down county building shrouded in confusion. Maintenance Director Morry DeMarco told the commissioners that the Fletchers building owned by the county has been out of sight and out of mind for many, many years, but it was recently brought to his attention and he noticed the building has gotten to be in horrible condition.

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Knox School Board Reorganizes for 2013

Posted on Author WKVI
Superintendent A.J. Gappa

The Knox Community School Board met for the first time this year on Monday night. Before the meeting convened, Superintendent A.J. Gappa said the elected school board members were sworn into office.

“City Judge Charlie Hasnerl came in and administered the oath of office to the four elected members,” said Gappa. “The returning members are Kirk Bennett and Jerry Fletcher and two new members to the school board are Wendy McIntire and Kurt Kemble.”

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North Judson Town Board Swears In Two New Members

Posted on Author WKVI
Newly installed North Judson Town Board members Josh Brown and Justin Davis

The North Judson Town Board swore in their two new members, Josh Brown and Justin Davis, who are now filling the seats created during the general election. A public question presented to voters in North Judson on Nov. 6 asked whether or not the town board should be expanded to five members, and the overwhelming majority gave it their approval. Now, the two youngest board members are taking their seats on the newly-expanded board.

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Site in Marshall County Qualifies as Shovel Ready Site

Posted on Author WKVI

A site in Marshall County is now shovel ready which paves the way for a business to quickly locate new operations on property ready for development.

PIDCO – Commerce Industrial Park is one of 85 other shovel ready sites identified by the state that have undergone extensive paperwork to get property ready for economic development.

The PIDCO – Commerce Industrial Park in Plymouth is a certified site that is eligible for matching grants to assist with eligible costs associated with applying for the shovel ready program. The site is listed on the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s Site and Building Database which allows site selection consultants and businesses to research available commercial and industrial properties that are available for quick development and investment.

Representative Dermody Sworn into Office with a Focus

Posted on Author WKVI
Rep. Dermody being sworn in on the House floor.

Republican State Representative Tom Dermody was sworn into office Monday in the House Chamber. He represents House District 20 which includes portions of LaPorte and Starke Counties.

Dermody says that he’s going to continue to focus on building up the private sector, eliminating excessive government spending, to connect with constituents with jobs and to strengthen the state’s economy.

The House Republican Caucus will focus on financial integrity, jobs and education in this session of the General Assembly. Dermody stated that he will concentrate on improving the educational system by strengthening the relationship between businesses and higher education. He added that this will better equip those entering the workforce with the tools needed to get a job.

Pulaski Memorial Hospital Names MVP for 2012

Posted on Author WKVI
Debbie Good and PMH CEO Rick Mynark

Pulaski Memorial Hospital has named its MVP for 2012 and the recipient is Nursing Administration Secretary, Debbie Good.

Good has worked at Pulaski Memorial Hospital twice has been employed there for nearly three decades. She believes that the hospital is a blessing to Pulaski County and couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have to go out of town for routine services.

She’s grateful for the association with the hospital and the people she has gotten to know and appreciate.

Work on Monterey Bridge Project Expected In Near Future

Posted on Author WKVI

While a formal project list has not been released by the Pulaski County Highway Department at this time, one of the projects that is anticipated is start of the Monterey Bridge project.

The land acquisition process has been completed and the permit process is done – workers are just waiting for the spring construction season to begin. The project involves the construction of a new bridge to route traffic away from the Monterey Bridge, which is too small and unsafe for regular traffic. The bridge cannot be removed because of its historical nature.

Bids have been received and it’s just the waiting game for work to start on Bridge 291.

The commissioners are looking forward to getting this project done as it’s been in the works for several years.

Marshall County Police Still Investigating Utility Pole Wire Thefts

Posted on Author WKVI

Marshall County Sheriff’s Department detectives continue to investigate the theft of wire from utility poles.

Marshall County REMC workers and their customers have noticed that the copper-covered ground wire has been removed off of a number of utility poles in the past several months. This is a concern as the ground wire is a safety device to ensure that extra electricity will flow into the ground, rather than destroying electronics, causing fires, or harming those working on the power lines.

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No Word Yet on Cause of Bass Lake Sandbar Fire

Posted on Author WKVI
No word has been released on the cause of the fire at the Bass Lake Sandbar.

There is still no official word on the cause of the fire at the Sandbar at Bass Lake.

Bass Lake Fire Chief Les Jensen is awaiting a report from the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office that releases pertinent information concerning the investigation into the early morning fire that destroyed the business on Sunday, Dec. 2.

Jensen has not released a preliminary cause of the fire as it remains under investigation with the Indiana State Fire Marshal.

Five fire departments battled the blaze at the popular Starke County establishment and it took three hours to extinguish the fire.

Pulaski Commissioners Hear Issues Regarding Handbook

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Vice President Terry Young, and President Tracey Shorter

The Pulaski County Commissioners met last night, their first meeting with two new commissioners Larry Brady and Terry Young, before a packed audience. Many of the attendees were county employees who had a number of issues with the new county handbook, and the commissioners heard their arguments last night.

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Starke Commissioners Proclaim 2013 “Year of Health” For County

Posted on Author WKVI
Nancy Dembowski

This year has been proclaimed a “Year of Health” for Starke County, after former State Representative Nancy Dembowski approached the Starke County Commissioners with the proclamation – the first of many efforts of the newly-formed organization, “Moving Starke County Forward,” to increase awareness of health issues in the county.

Dembowski explained that because the county had come in second-to-last place for health rankings in the state, she said it’s time to see what can be done to improve health in the county. She said that a proclamation from all county governments would help spread the word, and she said the organization is also planning a number of county-wide health contests. On top of that, Dembowski said the group is hoping to hold a drug symposium in the spring to raise awareness of the harmful effects of drugs.

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State Budget Agency Announces December Figures $22 Million Above Target

Posted on Author WKVI

The State Budget Agency recently released the monthly revenue report for the state tax collections in December 2012 and boasted a total revenue of $1.191 trillion – $22 million above target, and $24 million above collections for the same period last year.

Sales tax collections came to a total of $549 million for December, another increase over last year by $20 million. However, individual income tax collections were down 3.2 percent, totaling only $323 million – $10 million less than the same period last year. Officials attribute this to a large transfer to the local option income tax reserve.

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Local Libraries Planning Programs to Get a Jump on January

Posted on Author WKVI
Henry F. Schricker Library

Several libraries in the area are getting a positive start to 2013 by offering a number of new programs to their visitors.

In Starke County, the Henry F. Schricker Public Library will show a recently-released documentary on the Grand Kankakee Marsh, entitled “Everglades of the North.” The documentary, which was released in the fall of 2011, explores the diverse ecology, illustrates the astonishing history, and unveils the controversial saga of the marshlands that were once known as the Northern Everglades.

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