The Hamlet Police Department has received a unique addition to its fleet of police vehicles.
A Humvee from the U.S. Government was recently acquired, free of charge, by the department and Hamlet Town Marshall, Frank Lonigro III, says the vehicle will be used for community events and to better serve the community in the winter months when regular police vehicles can not maneuver as well in the snow. Labor, paint and decals for this vehicle were donated by the generosity of the Hamlet police officers.
Now that the Oregon-Davis property tax levy has passed, what’s next?
Superintendent Dr. Steve Disney said that he’s relieved that the levy passed and now he and the School Board are looking forward to enjoying the end of the school year on a positive note and planning for the 2012-2013 school year. State budget projections are a little vague at the moment, but Dr. Disney is confident that with the passage of the referendum the numbers will fit their needs in order to successfully manage the school. The corporation continues to operate off of its Rainy Day Fund to conduct everyday business.
The voters have voiced their opinions, and the support for Oregon-Davis Schools was overwhelming. Six hundred and ninety-nine people voted yes on the Oregon-Davis Referendum, while only 383 people voted no.
The Hamlet Town Board met on May 1 with a light agenda.
Hamlet Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Pitts said the board members were reminded of the town-wide yard sale that is scheduled for the weekend of May 18 and 19. Sales will begin at 8 a.m. both days.
Kindergarten Round-up at Oregon-Davis Elementary School will be held on Wednesday, April 11 from noon to 6 p.m. CT.
Parents should bring the student’s birth certificate and immunization records at the time of registration. Children who turn five before August 1 should attend. Parents who cannot make it on this date can arrange a time to come in by contacting the school at 867-2711.
Oregon-Davis School Corporation is an open enrollment school district and accepts any students in the State of Indiana.
The Annual Easter Egg Hunt for residents of Hamlet is planned for Saturday in the town park. At 1:00 p.m., children will scramble to pick up as many eggs as they can in the hopes of winning one of four grand prizes.
Four age groups have been set up for the event: ages two and under, ages three to five, ages six to eight, and ages nine and up. The eggs for the hunt were provided by the Park Department at no cost.
The Yellowstone Trail Fest Planning Committee will be meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Holy Cross Church, 100 S. Starke Street, in Hamlet, on Thursday, April 12th.
This year, the 100th Anniversary of the Yellowstone Trail will be celebrated. The trail was an early automobile route from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound. The dates are August 17th-19th. Hamlet celebrates the fact that the town was on the Yellowstone Trail.
John Goble, Sr., former Street Superintendent for the Town of Hamlet, was recently arrested on a warrant for theft.
Police say that in January, Goble and his son, John Goble, Jr., resigned their positions with the street department after a disagreement with the Hamlet Town Board and the Board appointed Town Marshal Frank Lonigro III as the temporary Street Superintendent until a full-time replacement was found.
Lonigro was told by the Town Board members to conduct an inventory of all town equipment with the Street Department. Lonigro could not find a current equipment inventory list so he contacted Smith Farm Store, where most of the town’s equipment is purchased, to get a list of receipts for 2011. Lonigro reportedly found that equipment purchased and was signed for by John Goble, Sr. was unaccounted for in an inventory check. Alleged items that have not been accounted for totals $1,358.65.
A Hamlet man was arrested Monday night after a domestic complaint.
An officer with the Hamlet Police Department arrived at 409 Pearl Street and found 54-year-old David Paulson on the front porch and he reportedly began yelling at the officers. Officers learned that Paulson had allegedly held a 15-year-old girl down on the couch and threw a beer can at her. The can hit the teenager in the face. Paulson was reportedly highly intoxicated at the time of the incident, according to police.
Congressman Donnelly Honors Robert Tauteris, Jr. on the House floor
Congressman Joe Donnelly took a few minutes to talk on the House floor about Robert Tauteris, Jr., of Hamlet, who died while serving his country in Afghanistan.
Robert’s two sons, Robert J. Tauteris III and Mathew, plus his daughter-in-law, Kayla, watched his speech from the gallery in the House chamber.
Two children hold up signs to thank Spc. Robert Tauteris, Jr. for his service
Spc. Robert Joseph Tauteris, Jr. was laid to rest yesterday near his mother in a LaCrosse cemetery. Tauteris was killed in action in Afghanistan on January 5th, along with three other members of his platoon.
Hundreds of people attended the services at the Braman and Bailey Funeral Home in North Judson. Included was Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, Congressman Joe Donnelly and State Representative Nancy Dembowski.
A U.S. Army carry team transfers the remains of Army Spc. Robert Tauteris, Jr. at Dover Air Force Base
The body of Robert Tauteris, Jr. of Hamlet, will be arriving in Valparaiso from Dover, Delaware Saturday morning at approximately 9:20 a.m. A procession will leave Valparaiso between 9:45-10:00 a.m. and follow the route of U.S. 30 to U.S. 421 to State Road 10 into North Judson. If you wish to safely line the streets to greet the procession, you are welcome to do so.
Funeral Services will be held Sunday at the Braman and Bailey Funeral Home in North Judson for Robert “Bobby” Tauteris, Jr., 44, who was killed when the vehicle he was riding in struck a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. The funeral will be held Sunday, January 15th, at 1:00 p.m. CT. Visitation will be held after 10:00 a.m. Sunday.
Tauteris was one of four soldiers killed in the explosion.
Although many flags are already being flown at half staff in honor of the servicemen from Indiana who lost their lives last Thursday in Afghanistan, the official mourning period begins at 8:00 a.m. this morning.
Starke County Service Officer Gordon Richie made the announcement yesterday. Richie was asked how long the period will last.
“Until the funeral day,” he said. “After the funeral, at the closing of the businesses and Courthouse, they will then take the flags down from half staff.”
A U.S. Army carry team transfers the remains of Army Spc. Robert Tauteris, Jr. at Dover Air Force Base
The remains of four National Guard soldiers, who were killed after their truck struck a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Thursday, have returned to the United States. The remains of Spc. Robert Tauteris, Jr. 44 of Hamlet, Spc. Brian Leonhardt, 21 of Merrillville, Christopher Patterson, 20, of Aurora, Ill., and Staff Sgt. Jonathan Metzger, 32, of Indianapolis arrived in Dover, Delaware where a dignified transfer honors service was held. The fallen soldiers’ families were at the service along with senior military leaders of the Department of Defense, U.S. Army, the Army National Guard and the Indiana National Guard.
Hamlet Town Board President Dave Kesvormas, on behalf of the Hamlet Town Board, has declared that all U.S. Flags, in the town limits, be flown at half mast in memory of Army SPC Robert J. Tauteris, of Hamlet, who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving his country in Afghanistan.
Video of the transfer service can be viewed by clicking here.
The Hamlet Town Board reorganized and elected Dave Kesvormas as the Board President. Brian Earnest was appointed to the K-IRPC Board, Martin Bedrock was retained as the Board Attorney and Frank Lonigro, Jr. was appointed to the Starke County Economic Development Foundation and Frank Lonigro III was retained as the Town Marshal.
Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall, Tim Cummins, Donna Henry, Dave Kesvormas, Wendy Hoppe and Knox City Court Judge Charles Hasnerl
Five Starke County Republican candidates successful in the November Municipal Election were sworn into office last night. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall swore in City Court Judge Charles Hasnerl and he said his office will be busy in 2012.
“One of the primary issues that we’re dealing with, along with the City in working with the Council and the Mayor, is the financial issue and trying to come up with resources to cover the costs,” said Hasnerl. “It’s a needed service and we handle a number of cases for the entire county so that’s going to be our primary focus – not just this year, but throughout this term.”
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.
Tomorrow at 1 p.m. CT, Hensler Nursery will be cutting the 25-foot Concolor Fir for the Indiana Statehouse Rotunda. The Rotunda tree will be cut with the assistance of the Kankakee Valley REMC crew members from Wanatah.
The Rotunda tree will be loaded and will reside at Hensler Nursery over the weekend. Presentation at the Indiana Statehouse will take place Monday, December 12.
Additionally, besides the Rotunda Concolor Fir, Hensler Nursery will be providing the Lt. Governor’s office with an eight-foot Fraser Fir. Both of these Starke County grown trees will grace the Statehouse during December, bringing fresh, fragrant, Northern-Indiana-grown Christmas trees to Indiana’s capitol.
