REMC Replaces North Judson Utility Pole

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A combination of winds and rotten wood recently caused a utility pole in the North Judson Town Park to fall down. Kankakee Valley REMC donated a pole and set it in place for no charge, even though the utility does not have any customers within the North Judson town limits. Town board members expressed their appreciation for this gesture when they met this week.

Former North Judson Clerk Treasurer Sentenced on Theft Charges

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Former North Judson Clerk Treasurer Connie Miller will serve a year on home detention and five years on probation as punishment for stealing $74,000 from the town between January of 2010 and December of 2011. She pleaded guilty to three of the 10 felony counts filed against her during a hearing this morning in South Bend. Special Judge Jerome Frese also ordered Miller to pay more than $52,000 in restitution. A civil suit has also been filed against Miller in an attempt to recover some of the money.

 

Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum Celebrating 25th Anniversary

Posted on Author WKVI

HVRM Tourist Train
HVRM Tourist Train
It’s been 25 years since the arrival of a locomotive at the Mint Festival prompted the Miami County Steam Locomotive Association to reform under the name “The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum.” In 1988, the Chesapeake & Ohio 2789 steam locomotive was put on display for Mint Festival patrons after its recent arrival in North Judson from Peru, and the association decided to move to the end of what was once the Erie-Lackawanna railroad tracks. The new location, near three other former railroads – the New York Central, Pennsylvania, and Chesapeake & Ohio – featured no buildings, very little track, and a lone phone sitting on a cinder block next to the telephone pole.

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North Judson Board Receives BZA Recommendation

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A North Judson man has the blessing of the town’s board of zoning appeals to rebuild a Weninger Street home, but he still needs to obtain a building permit. Town council members discussed the recent action to grant a variance to Jason Kersting during their Monday meeting, but town attorney Rachel Arndt advised their approval of the BZA’s action is not required. A 600 square-foot rental home owned by Kersting was destroyed by a February fire. North Judson’s current zoning ordinance requires a variance in order to construct a house that small.

North Judson Mint Festival Pageant to Be Held Friday

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The North Judson Mint Festival pageant is just one day away and Festival Committee Member Teresa Trout said the pageant will feature at least 20 contestants, possibly more. She said the committee is still waiting to receive applications and fundraiser money from six girls, despite the fact that these items were due May 31.

Trout said last year’s pageant queen has been working closely with the committee and held a class on May 18 at the library in North Judson, offering contestants the chance to learn what to expect at the pageant, how to put on their makeup, how to walk, what they should wear, and how they should talk to help them have a better overall pageant experience.

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North Judson Mint Festival Featured in Webcast

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The upcoming North Judson Mint Festival is getting some exposure in cyberspace. Organizers of the Father’s Day weekend festival have taped a web segment for South Bend-based WNIT Public Television’s “Experience Michiana” program. This year marks the festival’s 36th anniversary. The theme is “Mint is Green in 2013.” Festivities begin Friday, June 14 with the carnival in the Catholic Church parking lot, music from Hoosier Highway at Norwayne Field starting at 5 p.m. prior to the father and grandfather of the year presentation. Afterward the Joe Feingold Project will take the stage at Norwayne Field.

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NJ-SP Employee Retiring After 42 Years at the Corporation

Posted on Author WKVI

North Judson-San Pierre High School
North Judson-San Pierre High School
After a career spanning more than four decades at the North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation, Cafeteria Manager Shirley Mosher has announced her retirement. Mosher has been the cafeteria manager for 40 of her 42 years at the corporation, and she said the time came for her to kick back and relax in her retirement – though she will miss the people she’s gotten close to during her 42 years of employment.

“It’s been good, it’s more like a family. I will miss the students and the entire staff; they’ve all been great,” said Mosher.

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North Judson BZA Grants Variance to Kersting to Rebuild Home

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A North Judson man has been given permission to rebuild his home that had burned to the ground, despite the fact that the building he wishes to construct does not meet zoning laws. Jason Kersting wished to build a new house of similar dimensions on the property, but the house would not meet the minimum square foot requirements set by zoning laws – that is, 1250 feet. While Kersting could build a structure of 1250 feet and comply with the zoning regulations, he requested the variance to build the new structure to a similar size.

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North Judson Town Council Approves Civic Center Repairs, Natural Gas Contract

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The North Judson Civic Center is getting some repairs. The town council agreed to hire Rodney Back to tuck-point the brick exterior of the structure for $2,070. He is also replacing the four basement windows with glass blocks for a cost of $1,450. Council members also approved a one-year extension of their fixed-price natural gas contract with Border Energy. The town participates in NIPSCO’s First Choice program, which allows them to purchase gas from a vendor at a considerable savings. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says Nordic Energy also submitted a proposal, but Border had a better price.

North Judson Resident Requests Zoning Variance to Rebuild Destroyed Home

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The North Judson Board of Zoning Appeals will consider a variance request by town resident Jason Kersting in a public meeting on May 28 at 7 p.m. Kersting is requesting the variance because his house at 214 W. Weninger St. in North Judson was completely destroyed by a fire three months ago and he’s running into some issues with zoning laws in his effort to reconstruct the home.

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NJ-SP School Corporation to Participate in USDA Summer Food Program

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation will be providing meals to all children up to the age of 18 for free this summer.

The USDA Summer Food Service Program will also offer free meals to any adult enrolled in a state approved educational program for the mentally or physically disabled. All meals will be the same and there will be no discrimination during the course of the meal service.

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NJPD to Conduct Unclaimed Property Sale

Posted on Author WKVI

North Judson Police Department
North Judson Police Department
The North Judson Police Department has announced that they will be holding an unclaimed property sale on Saturday, June 8 beginning at 10 a.m., when they will conduct an auction or sale of unclaimed recovered property as well as some items laying around the department.

A variety of items, including more than 35 bicycles, several stereo speakers, a few strands of wire, a few tools and a number of gasoline cans will be sold. Each bicycle will have a minimum price of $10.

The auction begins at 10 a.m. at the North Judson Police Station, where the items will be displayed in the back near the garage area.

Karaoke Contest Planned as Part of Mint Festival Activities

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Aspiring performers are urged to showcase their vocal talent during the North Judson Mint Festival Karaoke Contest. It’s scheduled Friday, June 14 at 6 p.m. at the St. Peter Lutheran School Gym in North Judson. C & D Entertainment is hosting and all ages are welcome to take part. Trophies will be presented for first, second and third place winners in the ages 1-12, 12-17 and 18 and up categories. Call Chuck or Donna at (574) 806-2501 to sign up by June 1.

North Judson Resident Walking 2079 Miles Encouraging ACS Donations

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A North Judson man set off this weekend on a soul-searching journey across the country with the hopes of raising funds for the American Cancer Society in the process. Wes Carter, 22, began a 2079-mile walk Saturday evening around 7 p.m., heading toward San Diego – an on-foot journey that he expects to take roughly two months.

His journey soon turned into more than just a very long walk as he decided to contact ACS, turning the adventure into something more. Carter’s family had been touched by cancer, and he decided that raising awareness and encouraging donations to ACS along their trip was something he needed to do.

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North Judson BZA Denies Variance Request

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The North Judson Board of Zoning Appeals this week considered a request for a zoning variance from a town resident who is interested in running an internet gun sale service from his home, currently classified as a single-family residential dwelling. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that resident Jason LaMantia Sr. requested the variance to a commercial zoning to allow him to run the business, but a number of concerned residents spoke up against the request at the board meeting.

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Mint Festival Just a Month Away; Planning Underway

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Mint Festival planning is in full swing as officials prepare for the upcoming event that’s just a month away. North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry said a regular meeting was held last night to make sure the planning for all the different festival events is on track, and as the event continues to draw near, Henry said the committee will be working tirelessly to get all the loose ends tied up to have a successful festival.

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North Judson Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A North Judson man pleaded guilty to the charges against him and received a discretionary sentence in the Starke Circuit Court yesterday afternoon. Henry Allen, 53, pleaded guilty to a charge of Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon, a Class C felony, and was sentenced to eight years in the Department of Corrections.

Henry was arrested in September 2012 after a bullet fired from his gun went through the bedroom window of his neighbor’s home and grazed a young girl’s back. Donnie Greer told police that shortly after midnight he heard a crash in his daughter’s room and when he went to investigate he found a bullet hole in the window and his daughter injured.

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Judge Rejects Plea Agreement in Case of Connie Miller

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The recommended plea agreement in the case of Connie Miller was rejected by Special Judge Jerome Frese in St. Joseph County Court Monday morning.

The recommendation was that Miller plead guilty to three counts of Theft which would be served concurrently. Those sentences would then be suspended to be served on probation with one year of home detention through Starke County Community Corrections. The restitution amount would be $52,044 as a settlement between Miller and the Attorney General’s Office.

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