The results are in, and this year’s General Election ended in several new faces in Starke County who will be representing their constituents.
For County Commissioner District 3, Republican Kent Danford beat out Democrat Dan Bridegroom with 4385 votes to Bridegroom’s 3907, sliding control of the county commissioners to Republicans. Democrat Jennifer Davis, Republican Kathy Norem, and Danford will now serve as the county commissioners. Danford said he’s ready to get back into office in January.
The Pulaski County voters have spoken, despite having a limited number of contested races for the county.
The contested race for County Commissioner District 1 was won by Republican Terry Young with 2672 votes, while his opponent, Democrat William Bauer, followed closely behind with 2426 votes. He will join his fellow Republican Larry Brady who ran unopposed for the District 2 seat.
A number of contested races in Marshall County went to the polls yesterday.
Republicans dominated the county council at-large race, as Republicans Jon VanVactor, Rex Gilliland, and Steven Harper stomped out their Democrat opponent, Angela Rupchock-Schafer. VanVactor earned the most votes with 10,902 counted. Gilliland followed close on his heels with just two fewer votes, while Harper pulled together 10,448 votes to take the third seat.
Two Medaryville residents were arrested after a pursuit incident Monday night.
A Pulaski County Sheriff’s Deputy saw a vehicle approach the intersection at 550 North and U.S. 421 in Medaryville. Although the officer could not see into the truck, he recognized the truck to belong to Shane Born, a habitual traffic violator.
The Starke County Commissioners this week discussed a number of issues with the Bass Lake Beach that need rectified. Commissioner Dan Bridegroom told his fellow commissioners that he had gotten in touch with one of the owners and expressed his concerns with the beach.
A Hamlet man was arrested after threatening his brother with a knife.
In the overnight hours Tuesday morning, Hamlet police were called to 609 Davis St. where a call had come in from a woman saying her intoxicated son reportedly tore up the house and he had a knife.
The relocation of the Pulaski County Assessor’s Office is getting nowhere fast, as the county commissioners this week told Assessor Holly VanDerAa that they don’t feel comfortable with allowing a basement wall to be knocked out to allow her to expand her office. In light of the can of worms that the courthouse bell tower repair project opened up, Commissioner Ken Boswell said that the commissioners want to have an engineer or architect take a look at the wall that would be removed to ensure that it would not compromise the integrity of the historic courthouse.
The Starke County Planning Commission at their regular October meeting heard a request to reduce a building permit fee from Attorney Todd Wallsmith on behalf of American Oak.
American Oak is looking to construct a new 100,000 square foot building, but with the current fee schedule, Wallsmith said they would be looking at a cost of $20,000 for the fee. This five-figure cost, Wallsmith explained, highlights the commission’s need to rework their fee schedule which is currently set at $0.20 per square foot.
(A complete list of results will be posted after the final tallies are released)
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department is investigating yet another armed robbery incident at the Bottle Stop Liquor Store in Lapaz.
On Friday night, officers were called to the store at 107 N. Michigan Rd. after a white female allegedly displayed a weapon and demanded that the employee remove money from the cash register. She was last seen wearing black pants, black coat and a scarf.
If you have any information regarding this incident, call the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department at (574) 936-3187.
This is the third armed robbery incident at the Bottle Stop Liquor Store in Lapaz this year.
It’s Election Day! Make sure to make the effort to vote in this important election. Every vote counts, and with more than 2500 absentee votes filed in Pulaski and Starke counties, votes are already being made.
According to Pulaski County Clerk Tasha Foerg, 846 total absentee votes were filed in Pulaski County this election. In Starke County, more than 1800 absentee votes were tallied, including 1399 in-office absentee votes, 39 votes through the travel board, and 393 votes were mailed in.
The polls are open today from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. We will have Pulaski and Marshall County results for you live tonight shortly after 5 p.m. CT. Starke County results will be given after 6 p.m. CT. Election night coverage is brought you exclusively by Zingo Express and the newly re-opened station at Koontz Lake.
A Plymouth man was arrested on drug charges Sunday after a traffic stop on U.S. 30 east of West County Line Road.
A Marshall County Sheriff’s Department deputy pulled over a vehicle driven by 41-year-old Jason R. Baker for an equipment violation. K9 Officer Brandon Cooper brought his K9 Arras and the dog indicated that narcotics were in the vehicle.
A very frustrated Jim Kuiper, president of Kuiper Masonry, Inc., vehemently assured the county commissioners last night that he is using the correct mix of mortar to repair the crumbling bell tower according to specifications for historic buildings.
County Maintenance Director Morry DeMarco had put a halt on the work being performed by Kuiper because of what he called a number of “red flags.” DeMarco said the first indicator that something was amiss with the repairs when he noticed Kuiper hauling mortar up to the tower, and when DeMarco asked for a sample of the mortar, DeMarco said Kuiper told him that the mix was not ready and he would bring DeMarco an appropriate sample. Further, DeMarco said he was uneasy with the repairs because Kuiper refused to grind out old mortar from several sections of wall in the bell tower that DeMarco felt needed to be replaced.
The Starke County Commissioners this week received an update on county radio tower repairs from IT Director Joe Short, who explained that the county’s insurance claim of $13,165.84 for damages from the storms in June and July has not yet been paid. He said they’ve already performed repairs on antennas near Washington Township, Bass Lake, and Koontz Lake, but a vendor was unable to perform repairs on a unit in San Pierre. Short said that unit was ultimately replaced.
Those making property tax payments will have until Nov. 13 to pay the fall installment. Starke County Treasurer Linda Belork explains the situation.
“Normally our tax deadline is Nov. 10, but the 10th falls on a Saturday and we’re not open,” explained Belork. “Monday is a Veteran’s Day holiday so the Commissioners have closed the building. So, our normal tax day this year will be Nov. 13.”
There is an outdoor drop box where you can drop off your property tax payments. As long as you have the payment in that box or in the office on or before Nov. 13, you will not be counted as delinquent.
For more questions, call the Starke County Treasurer’s Office at 772-9111.
The West Central School Board discussed the building grades recently distributed by the state. West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon had given out preliminary grades in September and they stayed the same despite being reviewed.
“The high school is at an A, the middle school a C and the elementary school is at a D,” said Mellon. “At the elementary school just a couple of years ago, we were an exemplary school so we knew that there was work to be done there. I think we have to concentrate on some of our specific population.”
Grant applications are now being accepted for those organizations that address marijuana and alcohol abuse through treatment, prevention and enforcement in Pulaski County.
The Pulaski County Drug Free Council has grant money available that is gathered through the collection of drug interdiction fees from those convicted of substance abuse offenses. This money is distributed as grants to various agencies that addresses substance abuse issues in Pulaski County.
A North Judson man was arrested Sunday after he was found to have been spotlighting deer from a motor vehicle while in possession of a loaded firearm.
An anonymous tip was called into the Indiana Turn-in-a-Poacher hotline for suspicious activity in the Starke County area. Conservation Officer, Keith Wildeman, saw the suspect vehicle shining a spotlight across open fields and along wooded areas in search for deer. At one point, the spotlight shone directly on the officer.
A Grovertown man was injured in a tree stand accident Sunday afternoon in Starke County.
Indiana Conservation Officers, Starke County EMS and the Koontz Lake Fire Department responded to a call that 25-year-old Silas Wait, of Grovertown, had fallen from a tree stand in a heavily wooded area and was unable to move.
Visit with WKVI radio personalities today until 2:00 p.m. at the McDonald’s in Knox to help celebrate the store’s grand re-opening! It’s newly remodeled inside and outside with a double drive-thru and outside seating. A Ribbon Cutting ceremony was held this morning with the Starke County Chamber of Commerce.
