Much of Pulaski County is still experiencing flooded conditions. Motorists are advised to use caution while driving and to respond accordingly to all posted signage regarding high water and closed roads.
The Pulaski County Highway Department shared yesterday that sandbags can be picked up at the Pulaski County EMA Office (112 E Main St #110 in Winamac) and sand to fill the bags is available at the intersection of 200 W and 50 North in Pulaski County. Continue reading
High water on roadways still has many roads in the area closed. However, in some spots in Starke County and Pulaski County conditions have improved enough that certain roads have been reopened. Continue reading
Though the rain has stopped for now, there are still several roads in Starke and Pulaski Counties that are closed due to flooding and high water.
Starke County High Way Superintendent Rik Ritzler warns drivers that it is imperative to refrain from driving down the flooded area of a roadway. He said those roads are closed for a reason, and if you get stuck your rescue could divert resources that may be needed elsewhere.
He added that Starke County is on an orange “Watch” level travel alert due to flooding. He explained that a “Watch” means that conditions are threatening to the safety of the public. Continue reading
Winamac Clerk-Treasurer Melanie Berger informed town council members last week that the Department of Local Government Finance approved the budget submitted for 2018.
Berger stated that aside from the budget being approved, she also learned that the maximum tax levy was received. She added that Eric Walsh from Umbaugh and Associates collected some information from her and said they will be meeting with Pulaski County officials to discuss the LIT levy freeze issue.
Additionally, Berger asked members for permission to enter all checks that are unaccounted for back into the system. Continue reading
Winamac Town Council members voted unanimously to appoint JoLynn Johnston to the open Winamac Economic Development Committee seat when they met Monday night.
Additionally, members discussed the open democratic seat that’s still available on the Winamac Planning Commission.
Clerk-Treasurer Melanie Berger mentioned that the position is not limited to those who live within the town limits, all Pulaski County residents are eligible to apply. Continue reading
For the last 10 weeks, the United States has consecutively seen a steady decline in crude oil inventories, according to Gasbuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Dan McTeague.
In January of 2017, the cost of a barrel of oil was around $52. McTeague shared that right now, we’re seeing prices closer to $66. That is a $14 difference and he said it may increase as the year goes on with high demand at the national and international level, increased exports and stalled production continuing to impact costs. Continue reading
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development released the final unemployment rates for 2017 and Indiana’s rate stayed steady at 3.4 percent, still coming in lower than the national average of 4.1 percent.
In Starke County, the unemployment rate stayed consistent with the national average, and November’s figure by staying at 4.1 percent. However, Starke County’s unemployment rate for December 2017 is down from the same month in 2016, when was 5.3 percent.
In Pulaski County, December’s unemployment rate dropped slightly from November, moving from 3.3 to 3.1 percent. That’s down almost a point and half from the same time in 2016, when Pulaski’s unemployment rate was 4.5 percent. Continue reading
Winamac Town Council members reviewed an ordinance detailing the EDIT Plan for 2018 and 2019 when they met this week.
Clerk-Treasurer Melanie Berger explained that the EDIT Plan outlines proposed projects that will utilize county economic development income tax funds for the next two years.
Town Attorney Justin Schramm added that State Code requires towns to spend 75% of what they receive. He said the figures provided for 2019 were estimated since they do not currently know how much Winamac will receive that year. Schramm said for the 2019 amount, he reduced next year’s amount by 20 percent to present conservative figures just in case they receive less. Continue reading
WorkOne is working hard this holiday season to show their continuous commitment to our communities.
Aside from the educational and occupational assistance they provide year round, during the month of November, the Knox and Winamac locations have been hosting kids’ coat drives to collect winter apparel to help local children in need this time of year.
At the Winamac Town Council meeting last Monday it was revealed that the renovations to the new police station are nearly complete.
Employees with various departments have been working hard to complete aspects of the project that relate to their various positions. Town Manager Brad Zellers reported that since town employees were utilized for much of the work, they were able to save around $70,000 on the project. Continue reading
The Pulaski County Public Library serves more than 10,380 residents in several townships across the county. Currently, the library is in the preliminary stages of constructing a long-term plan that will list the goals and objectives the library hopes to achieve over the next five years. In order to continue improving their services and to ensure their plans match up with community desires, the library is seeking public input in the form of a survey.
The survey addresses the weakness and strengths of both the library and Pulaski County in general. The library officials will use the data collected to help determine the services it will prioritize and the goals it will set in the long range plan. Continue reading
The Red Cross is always in need of blood donations. However, in the aftermath of the recent natural disasters that have impacted different portions of the country, it is vital to have a wide variety of blood types from a plethora of donors.
Some blood types are unique to certain racial and ethnic groups, so having an assorted blood supply is important to meet the medical needs of an increasingly diverse patient population. Red Cross reports that patients are less likely to experience complications from blood donated by someone of a similar ethnicity. Some local blood donation opportunities are coming up during the month of October. Continue reading
The Pulaski County Highway Department will undertake two major road projects with the funding received through INDOT’s Community Crossings grant. Last week, it was announced that Pulaski County was among the many local communities who were awarded funds through the grant. Of the surrounding counties, Pulaski received the most funding, with more than $878,000 awarded. Continue reading
The Winamac Town Council will hold a public hearing for their 2018 budget tonight at 6 pm EST in the Winamac Utility Complex. Their regular session will commence immediately following the adjournment of the hearing. Continue reading
The West Central School board held a hearing for their 2018 budget and reviewed insurance quotes for 2017-18 school year during their meeting Thursday night.
Superintendent Dan Street went over various line items and commented that the proposed budget was very similar to the 2017 budget. Board President Jeff Lowry closed the hearing after no questions or comments were presented by the board. Continue reading
Pulaski County is moving ahead when it comes to health rankings. According to the annual County Health Rankings released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute, Pulaski County now ranks 47th of Indiana’s 92 counties when it comes to health outcomes. Continue reading
U.S. Representative Jackie Walorski visited Winamac last week, as part of an apparent victory tour. Continue reading
More than half of registered voters in Starke and Pulaski Counties cast ballots in last month’s General Election, according to figures released by the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office. Continue reading
Discussion of security at the Pulaski County Courthouse carried over from the joint session into the County Council meeting, Monday night.
