Several Republican candidates filed for office yesterday in the Starke County Clerk’s Office.
Those candidates include Robert “Bob” Kolanowski, Don White, Don Johnson, Dorene Matzat and John Norem who filed for Precinct Committeeman positions. Don Johnson and Don White also filed for State Convention Delegate.
Kathy Norem filed for County Commissioner in District 1. Continue reading
Cheryl Paschen was sentenced yesterday in Starke Circuit Court.
She pleaded guilty in plea agreement to two counts filed against her: Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Syringe.
Judge Kim Hall sentenced her to 18 months in the Indiana Department of Corrections with 6 months suspended on both charges. Both sentences will run concurrently and on home detention through Starke County Community Corrections. As a term of her probation, she will be entering into a drug rehabilitation program and she will need to complete treatment.
Culver Community School Corporation’s One-to-One Technology Initiative is receiving some positive attention, and Principals Albert Hanselman and Julie Berndt informed the board this week of an upcoming presentation hosted by Apple to allow visitors from other school corporations to see the iPad initiative in action. According to Superintendent Brad Schuldt, the event will give visitors a chance to talk to Apple representatives regarding products, services, and their costs, as well as speak to Culver employees regarding the use of the technology and get an idea of the major successes and problems with the program.
Earl Beem, Jr., of Knox was convicted of Possession of Methamphetamine Under Three Grams as a Class C felony in the Starke Circuit Court Thursday after previously pleading guilty as part of a plea agreement. Beem was sentenced to a total of 62 months in the Department of Corrections, making this his third trip to prison after he was convicted of a Probation Violation and Dealing A Legend Drug in the past.
Beem will serve four years for the felony, but will be serving an additional 14 months for violating his probation. In addition, the court recommended that he complete the CLIFF program.
The Knox City Council approved the purchase of a property in the Parkview Heights area.
The Council purchased property at 404 Giles Court. On the property is a 1950’s-type trailer, and the owner, James Landrum, offered to sell it to the city for $2,000.00. Mayor Rick Chambers said on top of the purchase price the council would need to figure the cost of cleaning up the property.
The right to work bill passed the Indiana House yesterday.
The final vote was 54-44. The bill gives workers the freedom to choose whether or not to financially support a union. It states that an employee cannot be forced to join to financially support a union in order to get or keep a job.
House Bill 1001 was heard on third reading yesterday after the majority of the Democrat Caucus boycotted the first few weeks of session by failing to show up to work. Members of the House Republicans attempted to address right to work last session, however the Democrats denied the House a quorum by fleeing to Illinois for five weeks. The issue was tabled and further studied in the Interim Study Committee on Employment this summer.
Starke County’s unemployment rate went up in December. The rate was only slightly higher at 10.7%, which is the 11th highest in the state.
Indiana’s rate was not changed from November at 9%.
Fayette County had the highest rate at 12.3% followed by Vermillion, Elkhart, Tipton, and Blackford. Dubois County had the lowest rate at 5.9% followed by Davies, Hamilton, Knox, and Switzerland.
A Knox woman faces seven charges after a battery incident on Saturday.
Starke County police were called to a residence in North Judson where it was reported a female had been battered. When the Starke County officer arrived on scene, he observed a woman in handcuffs attempting to leave the back of the police car. She had reportedly told her mother that she had been battered, but no evidence of the battery was indicated.
Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall sentenced Cheryl Hughes yesterday on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Operating a Vehicle Dangerously While Intoxicated. She was sentenced to 13 months on the possession charge and 12 months on the OVWI charge. All time was suspended and will be served on probation. Her Driver’s License was suspended for nine months.
Knox City Attorney David Matsey has informed Mayor Rick Chambers and the City Council members that he has been notified by Umbaugh and Associates that now might be the time to refinance the Community Center bonds. Umbaugh and Associates reported that the rates have gone down again.
Legislators are considering a smoking ban in this session of the legislature that would prohibit smoking in public places, enclosed areas of a place of employment, in certain state vehicles and within 12 feet of a public entrance to a public place or an enclosed area of a place of employment. The bill allows smoking iqos heets uae cigarettes in certain gaming facilities, cigar bars, and retail tobacco stores if certain requirements are met.
Yet tobacco is legally sold in virtually every country in the world and, after decades of understanding its harm, it remains not only legal but highly accessible and profitable (to everyone but the consumer) in US.
Students looking for help on the FAFSA form can get that assistance during College Goal Sunday on February 12th at Plymouth High School.
This free program is designed to assist you in filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form. The FAFSA is required for students to be considered for federal and state grants, loans and scholarships at most colleges, universities and vocational/technical schools nationwide. The deadline to file for the FAFSA is March 10th. In one afternoon at College Goal Sunday, you and your parents can get help in finishing the complicated form and get it filed online.
Tax forms and other income and benefit information are required. For more information, visit this website.
The House Natural Resources Committee this week passed a bill 8-4 that would allow people to pay thousands of dollars to shoot deer behind high fences.
Many outdoor groups opposed the bill. Supporters included those who grow deer to sell to shooting preserves.
The Chicago Bears won Superbowl XX. The score was 46 to 10 over the New England Patriots.
Former State Trooper and professional singer, Larry Dembinski, is 71 today. Larry is from Knox and he is now living in Hawaii.
A bill that would have reshaped county government died yesterday. Republican Representative Kevin Mahan, of Hartford City, pulled a bill that would have eliminated township advisory boards and required referendums in each county on whether to keep township government at all. The bill was to have been debated Friday.
Oregon Township Trustee Mark Allen, a Democrat, traveled to Indianapolis to attend the hearing.
“There was quite a push to keep townships alive and I think it’s a great thing, especially in your rural communities,” said Allen. “Where I live, you’ve got a volunteer fire department that the township trustee is in charge of and you also have a township assistant.”
Even though Republican Governor Mitch Daniels has made right to work his number one priority item for this session of the Indiana General Assembly, some Republicans are voting against the measure. One was Senator Ed Charbonneau, of Valparaiso, who voted against the bill Monday.
Republican Representative Tom Dermody, of LaPorte, has said he will vote against the measure. Continue reading
The owner of Ortman Meat Processing in Winamac passed away Monday in Pulaski Memorial Hospital. James R. Ortman, with his wife Mary,
have owned the business for 23 years as well as Prairie Moon Orchard in Francesville.
Ortman won many awards for his products. He was a member of the Indiana Meat Packers Association and a Director and Chairman of the Cured Meat Show. Jim had lived in Winamac since 1962 and when he was 13, he was adopted by George and Ann Ortman.
31-year-old Wesley Hurley, of Winamac, was arrested Saturday after an alleged battery incident.
A deputy from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department was notified of the incident and was enroute to the residence when he saw a man waving his arms in the air to gain his attention. The officer walked up to the residence where he could hear a man yelling at a woman. The woman then opened the front door and the officer could see that she had been crying and her clothes were torn and she was injured.
The Medaryville Fire Department and the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating a house fire that erupted Sunday evening.
Fire Chief Shaun Hauptli said that when the fire department arrived on scene, the southern part of the home at 210 W. Main Street was engulfed in flames. The home was occupied at the time of the fire and it was on the market. The home was considered a total loss. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.
Jeremy Miller, 33, of Winamac, was arrested Saturday after he was found to be driving under the influence.
Pulaski County Police were called to the town of Pulaski after a call was received about a man who reportedly had driven from a residence with his three children and he had been drinking. An officer pulled over Miller’s vehicle and his mother pulled up in a truck across the street. The officer allowed Miller’s three children to be taken from the scene into the custody of his mother. Police then conducted several sobriety tests and Miller allegedly failed every one. A portable breath test showed that he was over the legal limit. He was transported to the Pulaski County Jail.
