The ordinance regulating dog kennels is slowly making progress to being approved, and it’s been sent back to the tech committee for further revision. Previously, a committee consisting of many dog owners collaborated on making a revision to the proposed ordinance that would differentiate between commercial and non-commercial kennels, but none of the members of the Planning Commission had a list of the people on that committee.
Paul Warnke and Ken Jones came before the Starke County Commissioners this week to report on the progress of the Koontz Lake Sewer Project.
Jones told the Commissioners that the project is ahead of schedule and street and road restoration began this week which is making the public very happy.
The restoration could not begin until NIPSCO pressure tested the power to the grinder pumps. After that was done, the cuts in the road could be restored. Continue reading
The Knox Community School Board started a discussion with the Teacher’s Union last year to try and offer more Professional Development for the teachers during the school year. The State requires that schools be in session for 180 days which doesn’t allow much extra time for Professional Development opportunities without conflicting with contract terms. Superintendent A.J. Gappa says that some neighboring schools had a plan that the Knox Schools will implement this school year.
The North Judson Town Board is reviewing a proposal from DC Tech Solutions where the company is requesting that they be allowed to mount internet equipment on both of the town’s water towers. The Town would also need to pay the monthly NIPSCO charges. In exchange, DC Tech Solutions will offer free internet to all of the town’s offices and offer 2 hours of tech support a month for free. Since the Town already receives free internet service, the Board and the company will discuss alternative exchanges, if feasible, at a later time.
Pulaski County Prosecutor Stacey Mrak found herself in the hot seat in front of the Commissioners as she requested reimbursement for sales tax that was paid on some items bought from Sam’s Club and Walmart. When the chairs were purchased, one of the employees of the Prosecutor’s office did not use the tax exempt form, requiring them to pay the sales tax. Mrak said that sales tax has been reimbursed before, and she was unable to use any tax exempt forms at Walmart because the item was purchased online and shipped to the store.
Jerry Gurrado is the new Director at the SCILL Center in Knox. Jerry is no stranger to Knox and he talks about coming back to the area where he grew up.
“Harry Chapin had one of my favorite songs called “Circle” where he talks about how life’s a circle and it kinda comes back. I was born and raised here in Knox and in those last couple of years of high school I couldn’t wait to get out because there was nothing to do and now in my middle age I find myself back here,” said Gurrado.
A former Knox football coach passed away earlier this month in Noblesville.
Dale Snelling, 75, had been a Noblesville City Councilman from 1992 until 2011. He was also a Noblesville School Board member from 1968 until 1984.
He coached track and football at Knox beginning in 1957. While in Knox, he also served as a volunteer firefighter, Director of the Knox Parks Department baseball program and was later inducted as a coach in the Knox High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He moved to Noblesville in 1963.
After being in jail almost a year under $150,000 bond, Jack Haut will be in Starke Circuit Court today to face a Reckless Homicide charge.
Haut is accused of causing the death of Thomas White, who was hit while on his motorcycle riding on State Road 35 north of Knox.
If convicted, Haut could receive anywhere from two to eight years on the Class C Felony charge.
For the second time, the Starke County Council has refused to approve an addition-renovation bond issue plan proposed by the Starke County Library Board. The bond issue would be for $2 million and would follow the pay-off of bonds on the Henry F. Schricker Library in Knox. Because of the payoff of that bond, there would be no increase in the levy. Councilman David Pearman talked about the Council’s hesitancy to approve the request.
On Tuesday, July 12th, The Indiana Department of Education released I-STEP results. The Oregon-Davis School Corporation ranked #1 in the State of Indiana out of 292 corporations for improvement overall. That includes all grades in English and Math. The Oregon-Davis School Corporation students displayed a 14.6% improvement from 2010 to 2011.
Knox City Police Chief Clint Norem contacted the Starke County Sheriff’s Department last week to report that he has removed 358 marijuana plants from a vacant lot within city limits. The plants were grown without care and were found by an alley between New York and Delaware Streets, just west of U.S. 35. He said that some plants were very small. The plants were transported to the City Police Department to be destroyed at a later time.
Knox Middle School and High School are participating in a one-to-one computer program this fall where all students will receive a computer to use for the entire year. The final preparations are being made for that transition and Superintendent, A.J. Gappa gave the School Board an update on that progress this week.
“The Principals and Curriculum Director have been meeting and putting together Policy and Procedures Handbooks for the computers and the computer use guidelines,” said Mr. Gappa. “There should be a letter going out to parents later this week with some of those explanations. We will have a student agreement form for students to sign when they receive their computer and also a parent agreement form for parents to sign.”
Knee-high grass is a thing of the past for the Pulaski County Recycling Center, thanks to the upcoming purchase of a Dixie Chopper from Bill’s Circle Mowers in Francesville, IN. While the grass wasn’t yet knee-high, it could have potentially grown that tall if the commissioners didn’t approve the purchase of a mower. Ed Clark of the recycling center has been using his personal mower to keep the grass trimmed, but Commissioner Kenneth Boswell felt uneasy about allowing county employees to use personal equipment.
The Starke County Plan Commission is scheduled to meet tonight in the Starke County Annex building to discuss a proposed Dog Kennel ordinance after it failed to gain approval at the June meeting of the Starke County Commissioners.
Over 60 owners objected against many aspects of the proposed ordinance at that Commissioners meeting that was presented by Administrator/Building Inspector, Bruce Williams.
On this date, Apollo 11 landed the first humans on the moon.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first to step out onto the moon’s surface.
While that was going on, Harold Welter and Ted Hayes were testing the equipment at WKVI FM because the next day they would be broadcasting to the Kankakee Valley for the first time. Continue reading
A committee set up to select a new EMS Director made their recommendation last night at the Starke County Commissioner’s meeting. Paul Mathewson was selected to take over the duties most recently held by Lisa Burger. The Commissioners unanimously approved the recommendation.
One qualification that Mathewson had was that he is a professionally trained Paramedic. He has most recently been employed by Porter Hospital in Valparaiso.
The Pulaski County EMS is in an inconvenient situation with one truck out of commission and another being serviced because it has been belching black smoke. Nicole Lowry asked the commissioners to approve the replacement of a 6 liter diesel engine with a 7.3 liter diesel engine, with an estimated cost of $20-$32,000. Wagner’s Performance Diesel will be performing the conversion, which includes changing wiring harnesses, as well as the electrical components in the vehicle, which makes it a pretty tough job.
Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department officers were called to a single-vehicle accident scene on County Road 500 South near 1600 West in Francesville on Sunday. Kenneth Nuest, 47, of Francesville told police that he was traveling on County Road 500 South when he fell asleep. His vehicle hit some gravel which caused him to wake up. He reportedly was traveling off the roadway on the north side of the road. He attempted to correct the vehicle and told police that he believes that he over-corrected. The vehicle then began to fishtail and the vehicle left the roadway and began to flip and slide.
The Knox Community School Board members approved the appointment of Josh Pugh as the Middle School Assistant Principal at their meeting last night.
Pugh has been a Knox Elementary School teacher for the past 10 years. He has worked as a 2nd grade teacher and as a Reading Coach. He said that he looks forward to the challenge of the position of Assistant Principal and will do it to the best of his ability.
A 1998 graduate of Knox Community High School is the new Starke County I.T. Director. Joe Short was recommended to the Commissioners by a committee assembled to select a successor to Bob Smith.
