The Starke County Park Board members will be looking for a new park superintendent.
Continue readingStarke County Park Superintendent, Board Member Resigns
Cross-Country Skiing Could Be Coming to Starke County Forest
Cross-country skiing could make the Starke County Forest a year-round destination. That’s the hope of Forester Bruce Wakeland.
Continue readingOregon-Davis School Board Welcomes New Members, Chooses New President
The Oregon-Davis School Board welcomed its two newly-elected members this month. Ben Lady and Lee Nagai were sworn into office during the board’s annual reorganization meeting, according to Superintendent Bill Bennett.
Continue readingStarke County Park Board Calls for Bass Lake Beach to Open
The Starke County Park Board is calling for the Bass Lake Beach to open. During Tuesday’s meeting, Board Member Chris Lawrence questioned whether the Bass Lake Campground should be allowed to operate without the beach.
Continue readingOregon-Davis Gets $2,000 to Feed Students, Donates Supplies to Health Department
The Oregon-Davis School Corporation has gotten $2,000 to help make sure students get the nutrition they need. Last week, the school board accepted a donation from the Santa’s Workshop program of the First Presbyterian Church of Walkerton and United Methodist Church of Walkerton. That money will be used for feeding children or to help with lunch debt.
Continue readingStarke County Park Board Welcomes New Member
For the second month in a row, the Starke County Park Board has a new member. Mark Simpkins was introduced during Tuesday’s meeting.
Continue readingO-D School Board Switches President and Vice President, Changes Meeting Schedule
The Oregon-Davis School Board is switching its president and vice president for 2020. Superintendent Dr. Don Harman says the board elected officers Monday.
Continue readingStarke County Park Board Expresses Concern with Condition of Bass Lake Beach Gate House
The condition of the Bass Lake Beach gate house is once again drawing concerns from the Starke County Park Board. During Tuesday’s meeting, Board Member Butch Gerstandt worried that the structure would fall down.
Continue readingOregon-Davis Teachers Voice Concern with Proposed Contract, Despite Raises
Oregon-Davis teachers would see their first pay raises in over a decade under the proposed 2019-2020 teacher contract, but not all teachers are happy with it. The tentative agreement would raise the starting salary for new teachers and offer veteran teachers a retirement incentive. But during a public hearing on the contract Monday, Teacher Elisabeth Cooper argued that it should have focused more on teachers in the middle.
Continue readingStarke Park Board Continues Discussing Potential Campground Electrical Upgrades
The Starke County Park Board has once again tabled a discussion on electrical upgrades at the Bass Lake Campground.
Continue readingHamlet Council President Aiming for Construction of 22 New Homes by 2022
Hamlet’s town council president has a new housing goal. “I think that an ‘unrealistic’ goal – I kind of thought of this and just to kind of throw it out at you guys to see what you thought – is ’22 by ’22,’ and what I mean, 22 houses by 2022,” Dave Kesvormas told the rest of the council Wednesday.
Continue readingOregon-Davis School Board Urged to Address Declining Enrollment
The Oregon-Davis School Board is being asked to step up its recruitment and retention efforts. During Monday’s discussion about a proposed high school administrative restructuring, several community members felt the school corporation needed a long-term strategy for addressing ongoing enrollment decline.
Continue readingSome Oregon-Davis Staff Members May Add High School Administrative Duties to Existing Jobs
Following the departures of Oregon-Davis High School’s principal and assistant principal/athletic director, their duties may be absorbed by some existing staff members. Superintendent Dr. Don Harman presented an administrative restructuring proposal to the school board and dozens of community members Monday.
Continue readingBeavers Are Back in Starke County Forest
An ongoing saga at the Starke County Forest was recently brought to the attention of Park Board President Richard Ballard. “The beavers are back,” Ballard told the rest of the Starke County Park Board Tuesday. “I don’t know exactly what that means for us, but he said the beavers are back.”
Continue readingRiver Access Improvements, Koontz Lake Dam Area Mowing Discussed by Starke County Park Board
While a Stellar Community designation could bring upgrades to the Bass Lake Beach area, there might also be major improvements to recreational facilities throughout Starke County.
Continue readingBass Lake Beach Manager Discusses Submerged Lifeguard Tower, Glass Hazards
A couple of hazards in and around the Bass Lake Beach were discussed during Tuesday’s Starke County Park Board meeting. Facility Manager Larry Clarich asked board members if something could be done about a structure, believed to be an old lifeguard tower, that’s now submerged in the lake.
Continue readingStarke County Park Board Chooses New President
The Starke County Park Board welcomed two new members Tuesday. Attorney Richard Ballard was appointed to the board by Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall, following the resignation of Roger Chaffins. Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler had been appointed by the county council back in January, replacing Debbie Mix. Ballard and Ritzler both took their seats on the park board for the first time Tuesday, during the board’s first official meeting since last September.
Continue readingNew Oregon-Davis School Board Members Sworn In, Lawrence Elected Board President
The Oregon-Davis School Board welcomed two new members during its annual reorganization meeting Wednesday. Kyle Hinds and Brandie Ecker were sworn into office, along with returning member Chris Lawrence, according to Superintendent Dr. Don Harman.
Continue readingStarke County Park Board Orders Bass Lake Beach Operator to Repair Patio
The deterioration of the Bass Lake Beach House patio may be worse than originally thought. Now, the Starke County Park Board is demanding action from the facility’s operator, Callahan Development, LLC. Officials with the Starke County Highway Department recently took a look at the site to see what may need to be done, but they’ve determined that the project is too large for them to do themselves.
Starke County Forest May Host Cross Country Meets
The Starke County Forest could soon host high school cross country meets. Starke County Park Board President Roger Chaffins brought up the idea during last week’s meeting, on behalf of board member Chris Lawrence, who was not in attendance. “He mentioned that we’d see if we’d be open to that,” Chaffins explained, “and if it would work, I don’t see why the schools couldn’t do something like that.”
