Unmarked graves have been discovered at Fancher Cemetery in Hamlet, according to Lee Nagai of Tiemens-Nagai Surveying and Engineering.
Continue readingUnmarked Graves Found at Fancher Cemetery
Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum Won’t Include Critical Race Theory, Say O-D School Officials
Just because Oregon-Davis will be teaching social and emotional skills doesn’t mean kids will be learning critical race theory. That was school officials’ response to concerns raised by parents during Monday’s school board meeting.
Continue readingOregon-Davis School Board Plans to Explore HVAC Options
The Oregon-Davis School Board wants to see more options before moving ahead with a $6 million HVAC project. During a special meeting Thursday, Superintendent Bill Bennett explained Millies Engineering Group was hired to give a second opinion, after the lone proposal from guaranteed savings provider EMCOR raised some red flags.
Continue readingOregon-Davis School Board Accepts Student Debt Relief Grant, Athletic Donations
Oregon-Davis students continue to benefit from the generosity of local residents, businesses, and organizations. The school board Monday accepted $25,000 in grant funding from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund. The grant came about after the school board took action last month to intercept state income tax refunds to collect unpaid fees, and the Hardesty Fund offered to pay off the entire debt instead.
Continue readingHamlet Zoning Board Finalizes Home Construction Incentives, Building Inspection Guidelines
The Hamlet Zoning Board has finalized a list of incentives for new home development, and along with that, some procedures for building inspections.
Continue readingHamlet Town Council Hears Concerns with Lack of Building Inspections
Hamlet’s lack of building inspections continues to draw concerns, but how to move forward was a topic of some debate during the last town council meeting. Fire Chief Brad Hazelton told council members that, until recently, he was unaware that new buildings are not formally inspected.
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 readingThree Hurt in Starke County Crash Wednesday
Three people were hurt in a crash Wednesday at Starke County Road 300 East and Old U.S. 30. A photograph of the scene showed a damaged pickup truck and minivan off of the roadway. The Starke County Sheriff’s Office says Nellie Arndt, 84, was still trapped in her vehicle when deputies arrived, while Lee Nagai, 55, was out of his vehicle tending to a juvenile passenger with injuries.
Continue readingTown of Hamlet May Have Little Say in Future Use of SYSCO Property
The SYSCO property near Hamlet is set to go up for auction tomorrow, but the town’s ability to control what goes there may be limited. The discussion came up during a recent town council meeting, after local landowner Lee Nagai apparently asked county officials what steps would be required to build a hog farm there.
Continue readingQuestions Raised during Oregon-Davis HVAC Project Hearing
The Oregon-Davis School Board has decided to keep moving ahead with planned heating and cooling upgrades, despite some surprise at the potential cost. Board members had been under the impression that bringing the HVAC systems at the two schools up to date would cost a total of $6 million. But the list of projects presented Monday by guaranteed savings provider EMCOR totaled almost $13.2 million.
Continue readingHamlet Officials Considering Options to Encourage Development of SYSCO Property
A lack of development at the SYSCO property continues to frustrate Hamlet officials. Beverage manufacturer Common Collabs is planning to set up operations in Knox, creating up to 80 jobs in the coming years. Ron Gifford with the Starke County Economic Development Foundation told the Hamlet Town Council Wednesday that the company was also shown the Hamlet East Industrial Park.
Continue readingOregon-Davis Officials, Parents Consider Ideas to Stop Enrollment Decline
To try to keep the Oregon-Davis School Corporation’s finances in the black, parents are now brainstorming ways to boost enrollment. During a school board work session Wednesday, Superintendent Dr. Don Harman said the pace of the enrollment decline has exceeded the projections he made during the referendum discussions in late 2017.
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 readingO-D School Board Accepts Donations for T-Shirts, Lunch Accounts, Signage
A number of donations were accepted by the Oregon-Davis School Board Monday. Some students will getting new t-shirts, thanks to a pair of donations from Lee Nagai, according to Superintendent Dr. Don Harman. “[He] donated $100 to help with the cost of first [and second] grade t-shirts and then also 35 t-shirts that were purchased for the pep band,” Harman explains. “So we appreciate Lee Nagai’s assistance there.”
Impacts of Open School Enrollment Discussed with Hamlet Town Council
Open enrollment is leading students out of some smaller school districts. Ron Gifford with the Starke County Economic Development Foundation told the Hamlet Town Council Wednesday that the state is now giving more detail about where exactly students are attending school.
No Major Changes Proposed for 2019 Hamlet Budget
The Hamlet Town Council reviewed its 2019 budget proposal last week. It calls for a total budget of just over $467,000. About $323,000 of that would be the town’s General Fund. The Motor Vehicle Highway Fund would be budgeted at $58,200, while the Park budget would be $11,900. Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Pitts noted that there are no major changes from the 2018 budget.
Possible Impact Flooding Could Have on Agriculture
Though much of the high water we were seeing last week has receded, you may have noticed that there are still several fields that are looking more like lakes recently.
Depending on when these flood waters clear up completely, Hoosier farmers may run into some issues this farm season.
Purdue Extension Agriculture Educator Phil Woolery mentioned that the severity of impact will depend on how long a farmers’ field stays underwater. He said fields that dried up rather quickly probably won’t have any issues, while those that are having trouble draining may run into some problems down the line. Continue reading
Washington Township Completes Lands Survey of Eagle Creek Cemetery
Washington Township officials are looking to clear up some confusion when it comes to cemetery plots. Township Trustee Cathy Benko says the B and C sections of Eagle Creek Cemetery lack any stakes to measure the land.
Town of Hamlet Willing to Pay for Survey to Settle Property Line Dispute
The Town of Hamlet is ready to step in to settle a property line dispute. It has to do with two houses in the area of Division Street. One homeowner reportedly planted a row of trees this week. But the neighbors say those trees are about six feet onto their property, and they asked the town council Wednesday for assistance.
Hamlet Intersection May Reopen Wednesday
The intersection of Starke and Plymouth streets in Hamlet may reopen by the middle of next week. Street Superintendent Fred Rowe told the town council Wednesday that the work was halfway done, with the rest of the cement scheduled to be poured yesterday. That means that depending on weather, the intersection may open next Wednesday. Continue reading
