The Town of Winamac has taken a step forward with its sewer rate increase. An ordinance raising the sewer rate by six percent was introduced during Monday’s town council meeting. Continue reading
The Hamlet area will not be home to an 8,000 head hog farm. JML Family Farm, LLC has withdrawn their permit application filed with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management on March 2nd seeking to establish two 4,400 head wean-to-finish hog barns near the intersection of County roads 400 North and 600 East. Continue reading
The Hamlet Town Board took action last night to draft a letter to the Starke County Plan Commission and the Starke County Board of Commissioners expressing its support of a county zoning ordinance, adopted last fall, providing the City of Knox and the Towns of North Judson and Hamlet with a two-mile buffer zone concerning such agricultural projects as the proposed 8,000-head hog raising project south of Hamlet. Continue reading
Last night, when the Hamlet Town Board asked for comments from the public, the proposed construction of two 4,400 head wean-to-finish hog barns near the intersection of County roads 400 North and 600 East, south of Hamlet, was the subject of discussion. Continue reading
Protecting Indiana’s waterways starts right in your own backyard. That’s the message the Indiana Department of Environmental Management has been working to get out this week. Continue reading
The Starke County Commissioners are gathering quotes for mowing at the old county landfill. Some trees also need to be cut at the site on 750 East north of State Road 10, and vegetation needs to be removed from the clay cap. Continue reading
Hoosier schools can celebrate Earth Day by scheduling a presenter from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to visit with their students. They will talk about their careers and share lessons about air, land and water quality. The interactive presentations are between 30 and 50 minutes long and include interactive activities like building an edible landfill or “Environmental Jeopardy.” They will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis from April 6-17. Each school may request up to four presentations. Continue reading
The Starke County Commissioners may soon own the site of the former county landfill again. They approved a claim for $25,473.55 from the County Economic Development Income Tax, or CEDIT, fund to buy the 22-acre property, subject to satisfactory title work. Continue reading
The Starke County Commissioners are going to offer the owner of the former county landfill site what they believe is a fair price for the 22-acre property. The landfill on 750 East just north of State Road 10 has been closed for several years but is still subject to Indiana Department of Environmental Management monitoring to ensure levels of methane gas are in compliance. Continue reading
The Medaryville Town Council will meet in special session tonight to pass and sign resolutions for their wastewater system improvement project. They are looking to build a biodome structure into their current lagoons to meet Indiana Department of Environmental Management standards. Town Council President Derrick Stalbaum tells WKVI news the project will cost around $800,000. The town is applying for a $450,000 grant and hopes to fund the remaining $400,000 by selling bonds. Tonight’s agenda also includes a vote to submit that grant application to the Indiana Office of Rural and Community Affairs. Continue reading
The Town of Medaryville is a few steps closer to applying for a grant to offset the cost of a major project. They are looking to build a biodome structure into their current lagoons to meet Indiana Department of Environmental Management standards. Town Council President Derrick Stalbaum tells WKVI news the project will cost around $800,000. The town is applying for a $450,000 grant and hopes to fund the remaining $400,000 by selling bonds. As part of the grant process, an outside agency is completing an income survey of Medaryville residents. Stalbaum says they have already been contacting residents and asking the following questions:
Stalbaum stresses this information is necessary, as the town is applying for a need-based grant and needs to prove it qualifies. He encourages all Medaryville residents to cooperate and answer the questions honestly. Stalbaum adds door-to-door surveys will be conducted in a few weeks. Continue reading
Houston-based SYSCO Corporation still plans to build a regional hub in Hamlet, according to Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver. He told the county council he talks to SYSCO officials every two months.
“They say this is still part of their plan, as is the facility in Texas, but the people I talk to don’t have any idea when.”
Bond has been set at $2 million for the owner of a Knox business destroyed by fire on Thursday, March 20. Starke Circuit Judge Kim Hall found probable cause to charge James Campbell, 46, with arson, which is a Class A felony, during a Sunday afternoon hearing in his courtroom. He also ordered Campbell to surrender his passport. Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and State Fire Marshal’s Office arrested Campbell late Friday. He owns Starke County Recycling, also known as C&C Salvage. The business, located on U.S. 35 just south of Toto Road, caught fire on Thursday, March 20. Starke County dispatchers were notified at 5:17 p.m. The Bass Lake, Knox-Center Township, Hamlet, Washington Township, Koontz Lake, North Judson-Wayne Township, San Pierre and Monterey Fire Departments all responded to the blaze and spent several hours getting it under control. One firefighter was injured. Black smoke was visible for miles, and a brigade of tanker trucks hauled water to the scene. Continue reading
The owner of a Knox business that was destroyed by fire last week is jailed without bond, charged with arson and insurance fraud. James L. Campbell, 46, of Knox, was arrested this afternoon by officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s Fire Investigation Division. Campbell owns Starke County Recycling, also known as C&C Salvage. The business, located on U.S. 35 just south of Toto Road, caught fire on Thursday, March 20. Starke County dispatchers were notified at 5:17 p.m. The Bass Lake, Knox-Center Township, Hamlet, Washington Township, Koontz Lake, North Judson-Wayne Township, San Pierre and Monterey Fire Departments all responded to the blaze and spent several hours getting it under control. One firefighter was injured. Black smoke was visible for miles, and a brigade of tanker trucks hauled water to the scene. Continue reading
Weaver and Boos Consultants had a brighter report for the Starke County Commissioners this month. The company has been contracted to monitor and provide solutions to problems at the old Starke County Landfill located at 625 East and 550 South. In monitoring the groundwater at the site, it was found that there is no significant impact on the water quality. The report stated that another test will be done in June or July and if that test proves negative, Weaver and Boos will contact state authorities about only monitoring the site once a year, or discontinue groundwater monitoring altogether.
It will be a long time before the Holloway Motel is back in business. The motel was condemned after three methamphetamine labs were removed from the premises on Friday, April 15th. Extensive cleaning needs to be done and approved by IDEM and the Health Department before it can be reopened.
Tony Kerby lost his life in the Yellow River attempting to save his younger brother’s life. The good looking boy went in the treacherous waters to save his 8-year-old brother Dominick when the youngster slipped off a rock. Dominick was saved when a person in the park pulled him to safety, but Tony could not swim to the banks.
Community members were so saddened by the death that a cross was put at the site to honor his efforts and his life. The memorial was created by Shelby Clemons of North Judson, his wife, Danielle, and Misty Baldridge of Knox.
August 12th was an ordinary day in Starke County, except for Pete Daley who claimed his dog was killed when it jumped into a drainage ditch while playing fetch with its owner. The problem was the water temperature was near 200 degrees after the ditch was infused with scalding water from a Mint Still.
