Senior District Judge James Moody sentenced Linda Lyrla, 58, to 46 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release on the charges. Lyrla was also ordered to pay restitution totaling a little more than $1.4 million to the victims and forfeiture of just under $1.4 million.
The health educator works hard in preparing paperwork for grants that are beneficial for the county health department which requires a lot of time. Burden explained that she works 20 hours a week in her regular duties as the health educator and to prepare the many grants takes more time out of her regular work days.
In a special meeting held July 1, the school board approved Greg Briles as the interim superintendent at the Oregon-Davis School Corporation. He replaces Dr. Steven Disney who recently resigned his position to teach school finance, educational law, principalship and undergraduate education classes at Indiana University Northwest in Lake County.
Briles is the former Oregon-Davis High School principal. Tim Pletcher took his place in that capacity earlier this school year.
Middle School Principal Dave Miller explained that the Starke County Youth Club summer program will be wrapping up Thursday. He added that he’s really pleased with how the students have been doing in the program. Forty students are engaged in English and Math classes in the morning and then they participate in their choice of 16 different enrichment programs in the afternoon.
He said the sandy soils in Starke County and the surrounding area have been soaking up the excess rains, making for significantly better conditions than last year when the county suffered from drought. While there are some wet pockets in a few fields that are drowning out a few acres, Lawson said overall the rain has been beneficial.
With temperatures expected to reach near 90 degrees this weekend, many may be headed to the pool in the backyard.
Indiana Poison Center Director Dr. James Mowry cautions pool owners about handling, using and storing potentially hazardous pool care chemicals. The director has also gone ahead to caution home owners to not procure huge amount of Sodium Hydroxide Wholesale and store it, because the fumes developed over time can be toxic. Chlorine, when stored in undiluted forms, can be quite toxic.
“We need them to dial 911 to start that chain of survival, which gets the EMS out to you, and then obviously pushing hard and fast, which keeps the blood pumping throughout their body – which is essentially keeping their organs alive, to allow them to be back to that same person they were before they had their event,” said Connolly.
A rural LaPorte homeowner who fatally shot a burglar at his home near the Michigan state line Monday morning is not expected to face charges in the incident. Investigators from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department spent Monday interviewing the man, who was awakened by the sound of breaking glass, grabbed his pistol and found Jason Rabe, 23, of Three Oaks Twp, Mich. inside his home armed with a hatchet. Rabe died of a single gunshot wound that essentially ruptured his heart, according to LaPorte County Coroner John Sullivan. He tells our reporting partner WNDU-TV the wound so severe, Memorial MedFlight and the best heart surgeon couldn’t have saved him. The homeowner suffered a few cuts and bruises but refused medical treatment. He did not know Rabe, whose prior criminal record includes possession of marijuana and retail fraud charges from 2010.
Police believe that the suspect lives in Three Oaks Township, Michigan and the suspect was not known by the homeowner.
Investigators continue to investigate this incident.
Nick J. Hoffmann, 72, of Knox, died on Sunday, July 7. Services and interment were private. M.C. Smith Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
The North Judson Town Council members approved the first reading of an amended mowing ordinance Monday night.
The ordinance states that any grass, weeds or natural growth on any yard or lot shall not exceed eight inches in height. If a homeowner or renter allows the growth to exceed a height of eight inches, a citation will be issued. A notification will be sent to first time violators that gives them a time period of 10 days to mow the property. If compliance is not made within that time, town crews will perform the mowing and a lien in the amount of $250 will be placed against the owner’s property. A homeowner/renter will be sent only one notice per season. For second and additional violations per season, notice will be provided per Indiana Code.
Southbound U.S. 421 traffic will be directed to go east on U.S. 6, south on State Road 39, west on U.S. 30 and back to U.S. 421. Northbound U.S. 421 drivers will be detoured east on U.S. 30, north on State Road 39, west on U.S. 6 and back to U.S. 421.
While local roads can be utilized, this is the official detour recommended by the Indiana Department of Transportation.
The Starke County Commissioners this week approved permits presented by Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler to allow CenturyLink to upgrade fiber optics in the area, requiring the company to perform work near the intersection of Toto Road and County Road 250 South.
Ritzler also presented the commissioners with his department’s monthly report and said mowing is progressing as planned, with the second cycle having been completed in most of the county. The third cycle in some areas has also been completed, though the chip-seal work has been hampered by inclement weather. He said the highway department is still working on that and has begun work in Washington Township.
Applications are now being accepted for training this fall for volunteers wanting to be part of the Starke County Court Appointed Special Advocate program, or CASA.
CASA volunteers work to help abused and neglected children find safe, permanent homes after they are taken from their primary homes and placed into temporary foster care. Every advocate is trained to be a voice for children’s best interest.
There are more and more children that need your help in Starke County.
If you are interested in being a volunteer, the beginning of the fall training class has been scheduled for Aug. 27. Call (574) 772-7200 for more information or email starkecountycasa@yahoo.com. The deadline to apply for this training is Aug. 6.
A July 3rd motorcycle versus deer crash on a Marshall County road claimed the life of a Bourbon man. Michael A Disher, 45, was eastbound on 9B Road between Hickory and Grape Roads when a deer ran into the roadway. He couldn’t avoid striking the animal and was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:45 p.m. by officials from the Marshall County Coroner’s Office.
Officials in LaPorte County are still looking into the cause of a July 4th fire in a jail cell that sent one inmate to the hospital and forced the temporary evacuation of about 40 others. The fire started just before 1 p.m. in a cell occupied by Marzano R. Shelly, 35, of Michigan City. He’s jailed pending trial on charges of murder, robbery, possession of a firearm by a violent felon and battery by bodily waste. Shelly was alone in the cell, according to “The Times,” and is believed to have tried to burn his mattress. It smoked but did not fully ignite. Matches and lighters are banned from the jail, so it’s unclear how Shelly may have started the fire. The cell is located in an area of the jail reserved for inmates with disciplinary problems. The other nearby inmates were shifted to another part of the jail for a few hours.
