Plymouth High School’s recently hired agriculture instructor is working to develop combined science and agriculture classes for the School of Inquiry.
Jacob Riley plans to keep the traditional agriculture course offerings as well and says he hopes to expand the school’s existing program. He starts his new job with the Plymouth school system in July. He will also serve as the faculty adviser for the school’s Future Farmers of America program at Plymouth High School.
A two-vehicle head-on collision last evening in Plymouth claimed the life of a LaPaz man. The wreck occurred around 5:30 on Michigan Road just north of Higbee Corner. Gary L. Richard, 54, of LaPaz was pronounced dead, and two other people were taken to Memorial Hospital in South Bend. Their names have not been released, and the crash remains under investigation.
A popular public service for Plymouth-area residents could be cut back due to federal budget cuts.
The Plymouth Community Cab, run by the Marshall County Council on Aging, is funded by grants from the Indiana Department of Transportation and matched dollar-for-dollar locally. However, the federal budget sequester has slashed funding by $30,000.
Denver and the Mile High Orchestra recently performed at the famed Carnegie Hall.
Denver Bierman, a native of Plymouth, had always wanted to play at Carnegie Hall, but thought it would only remain as a dream of his. His dream came true last week when he performed with his band along with Dino, Sandy Patty, Larnell Harris, the Philadelphia Boys Choir, the Manhattan Pops Orchestra, and singers Daniel Rodriguez and Robert Stearns.
Checks will soon be in the mail for customers who purchased cars from a Marshall County dealership between Nov. 1, 2010 and Nov. 1, 2012. Auto Park of Plymouth has reached a settlement with the state over excessive paperwork charges during that two year period. State officials say the dealership was charging customers exorbitant documentation preparation fees. The settlement follows a joint investigation by the attorney general’s office and secretary of state’s office prompted by a customer questioning the charge, called a doc fee. Investigators looked into the costs and found them to be excessive on about 38,000 transactions. Indiana law requires doc fees to be disclosed, negotiated, reflective of actual expenses and noted on the purchase agreement. Customers who were charged a document preparation fee of $228 will each receive a refund of $34 from Auto Park. The dealership will send checks directly to eligible customers.
Officers from the Marshall County Police Department reportedly found multiple meth labs inside a duplex catty-corner from the Plymouth Police station while trying to serve a warrant yesterday. They were originally looking for James Corbett at 308 West Washington Street, and were told he was inside the home when they knocked on the door. They were invited in by the people who answered the door and saw narcotics in plain view, according to the police report. A search turned up multiple meth labs, precursors and drug paraphernalia. Corbett, 35, and his wife, Krista Corbett, 30, face A felony charges of manufacturing meth within 1,000 feet of a public housing unit, as does Nathaniel White, 26. Richard Milton, 42, was arrested for visiting a common nuisance. The Indiana State Police were called in to assist with the cleanup.
Next week is National Library Week, and in light of that, the Plymouth Public Library is once again allowing patrons to donate canned goods to pay off late return penalties – an event they hold each year, typically bringing in several grocery carts full of food to donate to the Marshall County Neighborhood Center. Neighborhood Center Director Sara Hill said the drive is taking place at a great time, too, as food donations tend to slow down during the summer months.
Preliminary autopsy results have been released in the case of a Marshall County Jail inmate found dead in his cell Sunday morning.
Marshall County Coroner Bill Cleavenger and Deputy Coroner Lisa Richards attended the autopsy in Mishawaka Tuesday which was conducted by Dr. Joseph Prahlow, a board certified forensic pathologist. Cleavenger indicated that the preliminary results showed no evidence of violence nor foul play in the death of 44-year-old Kerry Pinder. Pinder had a history of previous medical issues and there is no evidence to suggest that his incarceration was related to his death.
Neither violence nor foul play are suspected in the Sunday morning death of an inmate at the Marshall County Correctional Facility in Plymouth. Authorities there say 44-year-old Kerry A. Pinder of Culver had been jailed since early Saturday morning following his arrest by Plymouth Police for operating while intoxicated. He was awaiting release at the time of his death just before 11 a.m. An autopsy is scheduled today. When an inmate in custody dies, the Indiana State Police and coroner are the lead investigators.
Plymouth Police Department Detective Sgt. Leo Mangus was in the process of serving an arrest warrant for Theft on 19-year-old Allen Biggers at his home in the 300 block of Kingston Road when Biggers became agitated and refused to comply with instructions given to him by the officers.
The lone quote for a truck chassis and body for the Plymouth Waste Water Department is well under budget. Oliver Ford bid $52,685 for a single axle truck with the tool box and a hoist to raise lift stations. Utility Superintendent Donnie Davidson told the Plymouth Board of Works he had budgeted $58,000 for this year’s vehicle.
The board also ratified the award of quotes for three new police vehicles. The Plymouth Police Department will purchase a Dodge Charger from County Auto for $20,357 and two all-wheel drive Ford Interceptors from Oliver Ford for a total of $45,397. The total cost for all three vehicles is nearly $2,000 less than Police Chief Dave Bacon has budgeted this year.
A former 1999 Ford Crown Victoria police car will be traded in to offset the cost of the new cop cars. It’s currently being used by the Plymouth Board of Aviation and will be replaced by a 2006 unmarked Ford Taurus Police Department vehicle that was designated as surplus by the board.
Both visits will be held at IU Health Primary Care at LifePlex, located at 2855 Miller Dr., Ste. 117, in Plymouth. All Plymouth residents and those of surrounding counties are encouraged to take advantage of the Heart Cart visit so close to home by pre-registering for a screening. The service is now even less expensive; the screenings cost only $50 for tests that would normally cost more than $1200.
Last month’s protest outside a Marshall County mental health facility has prompted a state agency to investigate reports of wrongdoing there. The Indiana Civil Rights Commission is looking into operations at Michiana Behavioral Health. Former employees of the Plymouth facility claim it is understaffed and puts patients in danger. Officials there deny the claims. Findings from the ongoing investigation should be available in a couple of weeks.
Two women who work in the Marshall County building were treated at a local hospital for minor injuries sustained yesterday as they were struck by a truck while walking to work. The incident occurred just before 8 a.m. at the corner of Jefferson and Center Streets in downtown Plymouth. Police there say Timothy J. Patterson, 42, of Plymouth, was blinded by the sun as he was turning left from Center Street onto Jefferson Street and did not see the women crossing the street. Catherine A. Hamman of Plymouth was treated at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Plymouth for a concussion, Angela L. Wilson of Plymouth received stitches to her face for some minor cuts. Hamman told the police officer she and Wilson were talking as they crossed the street with the light and did not see Patterson’s truck before it hit them.
Hoosier allergy sufferers could soon face tougher limits on how much over-the-counter cold medication they can purchase. A bill to set an annual cap on pseudoephedrine purchases passed the House by a vote of 91-1. The goal of the legislation is to curb the manufacture of methamphetamine by crimping the supply of one of the drug’s main ingredients. Plymouth Mayor and former Indiana State Police Trooper Mark Senter testified in support of the limits during a House hearing on the bill. Cold medications containing pseudoephedrine are already sold behind the counter in pharmacies in limited quantities, and purchasers must show a photo identification to buy them. The 61 gram per person limit is about an eight-month supply of the current law’s monthly limit. The bill now goes back to the Senate for consideration of a few minor changes before it can be sent to Governor Mike Pence for consideration.
It’s a whole different kind of March Madness across the Kankakee Valley this morning. Roads are slick and snow-covered after a late season overnight snowstorm. This is making for hazardous travel. If you do have to be out, allow yourself plenty of time to reach your destination, and remember, ice and snow, take it slow. Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, brake early and accelerate slowly. If you see a snow plow, stay back and give it plenty of room to operate. Don’t tailgate or try to pass a plow truck, as the roadway will be clearer behind the plow than in front of it.
You can check road conditions anywhere in the state by visiting www.trafficwise.in.gov or by dialing toll-free 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) for updated Indiana travel information, including road conditions, road closures, construction information and other traffic alerts.
Snow should taper off into flurries by midday, but additional snowfall is expected tonight and into tomorrow before temperatures warm up into the 40s by the middle of the week. Fortunately the snow will not be a factor for schools today, as most school systems within the WKVI listening area are on spring break this week. However, if we receive word of any other weather-related closings or delays we will pass it along on the closings and delays page at www.wkvi.com as well as on the air and on our Facebook page.
After serving the school for more than three decades, Sharon VanMeter has announced that she will be retiring from Plymouth Community Schools. VanMeter started at the Plymouth Community School Corporation in 1980 at Jefferson Elementary, where she served as a teacher’s aide. In 1994, she transferred to Plymouth High School as a secretary.
Throughout her 33 years at the corporation, VanMeter has become a well-known face to thousands of staff and community members, teachers, parents, and students, having worked under five different principals.
