The Yellowstone Trail Festival gets underway today in Hamlet and every effort is being made to salute our veterans. You are invited to bring a poster of your family hero and information about their service in the Armed Forces. The poster will be displayed on the Hero’s Wall during the entire festival.
IU Health LaPorte VNA Services Opening Office in Hamlet
IU Health LaPorte VNA Services is announcing the opening of a new office at 5595 County Road 600 North in Hamlet. VNA Skilled Home Care and Private Duty Services allows individuals to recuperate at home or in an assisted living residence instead of a long hospital stay.
IU Health LaPorte VNA Services provides care in Jasper, LaPorte, Marshall, Pulaski, Starke, St. Joseph, and Porter counties. For an appointment or for more information, call (574) 867-7700.
No New Information on Sysco Project in Hamlet
Rumors have floated around Starke County for the past few weeks that construction of the Sysco plant near Hamlet is about to become a reality. Starke County Economic Development Director, Charles Weaver, cautions that he has not received any information that supports those rumors.
Hamlet, Knox Fire Crews Respond to Call Outside of Hamlet
Residents were tearing down a house at 2323 E. 480 N. outside of Hamlet Wednesday afternoon when a fire started and got out of control.
According to Hamlet Fire Chief, Bob Goetz, scrap from the destruction of an abandoned house on the property started on fire. The fire got out of control and spread to a garage. The Hamlet Fire Department responded to the scene as well as the Knox-Center Township Fire Department and the fire was extinguished. Minimal damage was reported to the garage. There were no injuries reported.
Sysco Project to Continue in Hamlet When Economy Recovers
The question of when Sysco is breaking ground at the Hamlet site was brought up at the Starke County Commissioners meeting this week. Commission President, Dan Bridegroom, said to Starke County Development Director, Charles Weaver, in a lighthearted way, “I don’t know what to tell people who ask me.”
Bridegroom said he read in last week’s Leader that groundbreaking for the distribution center could be this summer.
Weaver said that he has “no” word that the summer is a consideration for groundbreaking. The last conversation he had with Baugh Midwest Cooperative Inc. is that the project is still viable, but that nothing is going to be done until the economy returns. He said that this added distribution center will cover 12 to 13 states and at the moment with the economy down those states can be serviced through existing centers.
Hamlet Town Board Reorganizes
The Hamlet Town Board reorganized and made appointments at its recent meeting. Curt Simpkins was retained as the Hamlet Town Board President and as the KIRPC representative, John Goble, Sr. was retained as the Street Superintendent, and the Town Attorney is Martin Bedrock. Frank Lonigro Jr. was named the Street Building Code Enforcement Officer and the Jeremiah Patrick was retained as Town Marshal.
The Town Representative for the Starke Development Foundation is Bob Yung, the Water/Wastewater Operator is John Goble, Sr., and Bobby Goetz is the Hamlet Fire Chief. Mary Stone, John Jeffers, David Fretz and Carol Bracich were named to the Hamlet Park Board.
Week in Review December 27th-31st, 2010
Here are a few of the stories that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:
Megan Smithson, 19, of Illinois, died in an auto accident Sunday afternoon at the intersection of State Road 10 and State Road 35 in Starke County. Police say she pulled out onto US 35 and into the path of a vehicle driven by Tony Wagner of Winamac.
We heard from three of the four Starke County Councilmen who attended their last meeting December 20th. Chuck Estok, Bill Dulin, and Bruce Fingerhut (pictured right) said that they enjoyed working with the people of Starke County.
Gerald L. Broude, Jr. was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court, Tuesday. Judge Kim Hall sentenced him to 50 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections. A jury had found him Guilty on four counts of Child Molestation on December 1st.
Hamlet Town Board Approves Bid for Storm Drainage Project
The Hamlet Town Board approved a bid of $571,562 from H&G Underground to improve storm drainage generally in the old downtown area of Hamlet.
City of Knox and Town of Hamlet Outdoor Christmas Decoration Contests Tonight
Knox Mayor, Rick Chambers, invites the Knox community to participate in an outdoor Christmas decoration contest.
Judging will be on Monday, December 20th, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. CT. Anyone wishing to take part in the contest are asked to make sure outdoor decorations are on during the judging hours. First place will receive $100, second place will get $50 and third place, $25. Winners will be notified and announced on WKVI on Wednesday, December 22nd.
Statehouse Christmas Trees Delivered to Indianapolis
John Hensler, of Hensler Nursery near Hamlet, Indiana, followed the trees he sent to Indianapolis, Monday. The trees make it on time for the ceremony, but the inclement weather prevented him from attending the affair. The ceremony for the tree provided for the Rotunda was hosted by Governor Mitch Daniels and the one for Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman’s office was hosted by the Lieutenant Governor herself.
Care for Your Newly Cut Christmas Tree
Many people are visiting Christmas tree farms, like Hensler’s Nursery in Hamlet, to pick out the perfect tree to place in their homes. It’s important to keep your live Christmas tree fresh throughout the holiday season.
