Fall Foliage Falling – Pickups Planned for North Judson, Knox

The town of North Judson will have fall brush pickup beginning Oct. 1. If you have brush you want picked up, you must have it placed on the side of the alley or street before Monday morning.

The Street Department will be making a one-time only sweep down the streets and alleys of North Judson. This will be the last scheduled brush pick-up for this year. If you happen to miss the deadline, you are encouraged to take brush, grass or leaves to the town dump for disposal. Sign for the key at the Water Works office.

Fall leaf pickup for the city of Knox will begin on Oct. 9. Place all leaves in front of your residence next to the curb on the street in a long row, not in the alley. The garbage contractors will not pick up bagged leaves. Keep all trash out of leaf piles so the vacuum can pick up the leaves. Place any branches and limbs separate from the leaf pile. You may also drop off leaves, grass, garden material, or brush at the city compost pile behind City Hall.

North Judson Earns IPEP Safety Award

North Judson Town Board

The town of North Judson has once again earned a safety award from the Indiana Public Employers’ Plan. The award is achieved by having less than a 50 percent loss ratio plus an acceptable claim incident rate as compared to municipalities statewide. The town earned the award for its excellent worker safety recorded in the 2011 calendar year.

The award not only rewards the prevention of accidents among employees, but also emphasizes the cost savings to governmental agencies by keeping workers safe and on the job.

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North Judson-Wayne Township Firefighters Respond to House Fire

The North Judson-Wayne Township Firefighters battled a house fire Friday night on 250 West.

Fire Chief Joe Leszek said flames were showing from the front of the home when they arrived on scene. They entered the home and extinguished the fire. No one was home at the time of the fire and Leszek says the fire appeared to have been started by an electrical issue.

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Ribbon-Cutting For Chester, Inc. In North Judson Today

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for this morning for Chester Agricultural Systems in North Judson. This division of Chester, Inc. announced plans in July to locate to the North Judson area.

The town will be home to an additional structure for the Agricultural Systems Division of Chester, Inc., which will house a growing inventory of necessary parts for servicing irrigation systems. The division was established in 1970 when Chester, Inc. first added center-pivot irrigation systems to their line of products and services; they now service over 1500 irrigation systems, as well as grain dryers and drying bins.

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North Judson Working To Comply With ADA Requirements

Doug Vessely
North Judson Town Marshal Doug Vessely

North Judson Town Marshal Doug Vessely was recently appointed as the town’s coordinator for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that the town must now review their municipal buildings and sidewalks to ensure they are ADA-compliant, because if they aren’t, the town will be unable to receive federal grants.

Henry explained that the town will be required to draft a plan to become compliant with ADA requirements, and then they will have to implement that plan as soon as possible. The deadline for a plan to be developed and submitted is Dec. 31, and any municipality that does not have their ADA plan implemented soon thereafter will be disqualified from receiving federal funds. As ADA coordinator, Vessely will work closely with Town Superintendent Marshall Horstmann to ensure they meet the requirements.

Horstmann is also staying busy, having scheduled a water tower inspection for both towers this month. Both the tower on the west side of North Judson and the tower downtown will be inspected Sept. 19.

Free Prostate Screenings In North Judson, LaPorte

IU Health LaPorte Hospital and IU Health Starke Hospital will be offering free prostate cancer screenings on Saturday, Sept. 22 from 8–11 a.m. CT.

The screenings will be offered at two locations: one in LaPorte and the other in North Judson. You must preregister in order to receive the free screenings. To schedule an appointment in LaPorte, call (219) 326-2073 and in North Judson call (574) 896-5533.

Prostate screenings are recommended annually for men age 40 and older.

The screening is made possible through funding provided by the LaPorte Hospital Foundation, the philanthropic arm of IU Health LaPorte Hospital and fiscal manager of the Starke Health Fund.

North Judson Town Board Holds Public Budget Hearing

North Judson Town Board

The North Judson Town Board last week held their first and second readings of an amendment to the 2012 salary ordinance. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says the amendment allows for the addition of a part-time clerical position in both the clerk-treasurer’s office and the billing office.

Henry explained that the part-time employee would split his or her time between the two offices, but will spend the majority of his or her time in the clerk-treasurer’s office. The employee will be trained in both departments, and will be cross-trained on the billing side to allow the employee to substitute for the billing clerk during vacations. Henry says this employee will be similar to a floating employee between the two departments, but will concentrate on the clerk-treasurer’s side.

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Cemetery Policies May Change in North Judson

North Judson Town Board

Rules and regulations may soon be changed at cemeteries in North Judson, as the town council is reviewing a proposed ordinance from the Cemetery Regulations Committee.

Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says the committee was appointed a few months ago and charged with the task of reviewing the current cemetery ordinance and its rules and regulations to determine if any changes are needed to the policies. The committee looked at the current ordinance and compared it to templates of cemetery rules and regulations, and have made a number of changes that they feel would best suit the cemetery and the town.

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Starke County Commissioners to Deed Land to North Judson

Starke County Commissioners Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom and Jennifer Davis

The Starke County Commissioners this week corrected a mix-up from years past, as North Judson Town Board President Wendy Hoppe requested their assistance in transferring two parcels of land back to the town.

Hoppe explained that several years ago a building on Lane Street had been demolished, and the county assisted the town in clearing the debris; however, the property which had been split into two parcels was supposed to be deeded to the town, but instead, was deeded to the county. She says that issue was supposed to be straightened out long ago, but it was never corrected.

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North Judson To Hold IACT Roundtable in October

North Judson will soon be the host of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns quarterly roundtable.

Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says she and town board president Wendy Hoppe had attended the previous roundtable in Demotte in August, and she says each roundtable has a different topic. The August roundtable was focused on budgets, and Henry says she asked the organization if the North Judson Town Board could hold one of the upcoming roundtables in North Judson.

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American Community Survey Causes Scam Scare

If you have received what you suspected was a fraudulent phone call from someone claiming to be with the U.S. Census Bureau, worry not; it could very well have been a legitimate survey.

North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry said that an elderly citizen had contacted the North Judson Town Hall and stated that she had been contacted numerous times by someone claiming to represent the U.S. Census Bureau and requested information for the American Community Survey. The woman said she was concerned that it was a fraudulent phone call.

Fortunately, Henry contacted the U.S. Census Bureau and discovered that the organization was, indeed, performing the survey. However, no news outlets were notified of the survey, causing those who were contacted to be slightly suspicious.

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Hunter Education Class Offered In North Judson

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is offering a Hunter Education Class to assist participants in receiving their Indiana Hunter Education Certification.

Indiana Conservation Officers will be holding the class on Saturday, Sept. 22 and 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CT at Kankakee FWA Headquarters, located at 4320 W. Toto Rd, North Judson. There is no fee for this course.

Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive their certification, which is required for any hunters born after Dec. 31, 1986.

Students are asked to preregister for the course by calling District 10 Law Enforcement Headquarters at (219) 879-5710. Attendance both days is mandatory for the certification, and children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Participants are encouraged to bring a sack lunch.

No Smoking On North Judson Town Property

The town of North Judson’s no-tobacco ordinance is now in effect, prohibiting smoking or any other form of tobacco use in municipal buildings or properties, including parks. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says the ordinance prohibits smoking and tobacco use on the premises of municipal properties or within eight feet of their entrances.

The ordinance also prohibits smoking in town parks and their park shelters or within 15 feet of the shelters.

The North Judson Town Council held the first and second readings of the no-tobacco ordinance at their meeting on Aug. 20, and Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says the council held the final reading on the ordinance at their meeting on Sept. 4.

The ordinance is more restrictive than the state’s Smoke Free Air Law, but only applies to municipal properties.

North Judson Town Council Reviews Proposed Golf Cart Ordinance

The North Judson Town Council continued their discussion this week regarding the proposed golf cart ordinance. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that this seems to be a rather hot topic between communities, as Marshall County and several other communities have recently passed golf cart ordinances restricting their use.

However, Henry says that the ordinance they have in mind defers to the state law on most points, but does allow golf carts to be operated on municipal streets. Henry says the operators of the golf carts must be licensed and have insurance coverage on the vehicle, and it will also need to be registered with the clerk-treasurer’s office.

Councilman Tim Cummins presented a draft copy of the proposed ordinance to the council this week, and provided copies for audience members interested in reading it. The council will review the draft and note any necessary revisions, and Henry says it’s likely they will have their first and second readings of the ordinance at their next meeting on Sept. 17. However, if there are several revisions necessary, the readings may be postponed until the following meeting.

Kersting’s Cycle Center Annual Charity Event This Weekend

Kersting’s Cycle Center will be hosting their 10th annual charity event this weekend. The Motorcycle, Music and Memories event is a large celebration put on at the center for only one day, featuring live bands, food vendors, and a motorcycle ride in the afternoon. The event raises money for a number of charities, including the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Nella Kersting Memorial Scholarship.

Jim and Nella Kersting developed their love of motorcycles into a growing, successful family business over the span of 40 years. Nella tragically passed away in 2003 as the result of a two-vehicle crash in Pulaski County which also left Jim critically injured.

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North Judson Man Receives Sentence For Domestic Battery

Wesley Joseph Hurley, of North Judson, pleaded guilty to two counts in a plea hearing and was sentenced in Pulaski Circuit Court on Wednesday.

He pleaded guilty in a plea agreement to Domestic Battery in the Presence of a Child, a Class D Felony. A Class C Felony count of Criminal Confinement and a misdemeanor charge of Interference with Reporting a Crime were dismissed.

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Ten Counts Filed Against Former North Judson Clerk-Treasurer

Ten counts have been filed in the Starke Circuit Court against former North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Connie Miller. The charges, which were filed Aug. 22, allege that Miller took unauthorized control over cemetery lot sales, utility receipts, and other deposits and payments from the town during her time as clerk-treasurer.

The charges stem from a special report for the Town of North Judson filed by the State Board of Accounts earlier this year citing alleged financial discrepancies totaling $74,408.67 during the period of time between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2011. Miller was asked to reimburse the town for the alleged discrepancies.

Special Deputy Prosecutor Michael P. Krebes filed the charges against Miller, which consist of nine counts of Theft and one count of Official Misconduct as Class D felonies. The counts of Theft allege Miller kept money from equipment purchases, employee reimbursements, police department receipts, ordinance violation payments, utility customer deposits, and a number of other receipts from the town of North Judson.

Miller’s initial hearing is set for Aug. 31 at 9 a.m. in the Starke Circuit Court.

North Judson Continues Golf Cart Ordinance Discussion

North Judson Town Board

The North Judson Town Council this week continued discussion regarding the proposed golf cart ordinance. According to Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry, the town board is still researching a sample ordinance from the state governing golf carts, and she says the council will likely have an ordinance drafted by the next meeting for review.

The town is currently considering the idea of joining several counties, cities, and towns throughout the state that have adopted ordinances regulating where golf carts can and cannot be driven. Henry says that as of right now, the council is unsure as to whether or not golf carts are regulated in North Judson, but this ordinance would rectify that and define clear requirements for their use.

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North Judson Town Council To Soon Approve No-Tobacco Ordinance

The North Judson Town Council at their meeting Monday night held the first and second readings of their no-tobacco ordinance. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says the council will likely hold the final reading on the ordinance at their next meeting on Sept. 4.

The ordinance prohibits not only smoking, but the use of any tobacco – including chewing tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, and other methods of tobacco use – and applies to all municipal property. This includes buildings, places of employment, and parks. Henry says this ordinance prohibits smoking and tobacco use “inside” all municipal buildings, and within 8 feet of municipal buildings. Ordinance prohibits smoking and tobacco use “inside” park shelters, and within 15 feet of the shelters.

The ordinance is more restrictive than the state’s Smoke Free Air Law, but only applies to municipal properties.

Henry says the next meeting of the town council is on Tuesday, Sept. 4, because the regularly scheduled meeting date of Sept. 3 falls on the Labor Day holiday.