The Pulaski County Council and Commissioners will consider a controversial policy change during a joint meeting next week. Deputies with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office contend they lost vacation and personal time when the county switched to calculating them by hours instead of days. That’s because they work 12-hour shifts, while most other county employees work seven hours per day. Continue reading
The West Central School Board members discussed several topics at their meeting last week. Superintendent Charles Mellon said they are still trying to gather more information on the Affordable Care Act.
“We’re still looking at a little more direction from the IRS and the federal government,” stated Mellon. “I know some of the legislators at the federal level are saying this is a train wreck waiting to happen – that’s in the news more and more and schools are making some quick changes so that we’re in compliance.”
The board had to make some urgent changes when the plan was approved in January.
Mellon and the school board hope to have most of the changes ironed out quickly after those mandates come from the federal government.
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department and the Pulaski County Coroner are investigating an apparent suicide in the Medaryville community.
The Pulaski County 911 Dispatch Center received a call Saturday afternoon that a man was hanging in a garage in Medaryville. The dispatchers, who are trained as emergency medical dispatchers, gave information over the phone on how to prolong the victim’s life until emergency responders could arrive at the scene. Richard Scott Reid, 46, was then airlifted to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne. He later died of the injuries he received in the hanging.
A Winamac man was arrested Friday after reportedly causing an injury accident in Pulaski County.
At 7:45 p.m. ET Thursday night, a head-on crash was reported to Pulaski County dispatch on County Road 300 West south of County Road 250 North. Witnesses and forensic evidence proved that 39-year-old Jennifer Keller was struck head-on after a vehicle driven by Joey Allen Frinkel, 28, was traveling sideways and in Keller’s path of travel. Keller and her 16-year-old son were taken to Pulaski Memorial Hospital after receiving minor injuries in the accident. A passenger in Frinkel’s vehicle was taken to Pulaski Memorial Hospital and later airlifted to Parkview Memorial Hospital in Fort Wayne and is listed in critical condition.
Outdoor enthusiasts now have 22 miles of paved trail to enjoy between Winamac and Kenneth. Crews completed the paving of the Panhandle Pathway on Friday. The newly paved portion ends in a spur onto Superior Street on the south end of downtown Winamac which was previously surfaced with crushed limestone. The Panhandle Pathway lies in the former railroad bed that runs parallel to U.S. 35 through Pulaski and Cass Counties. The town of Winamac received a Safe Routes to School Grant to pave the trail to the depot at the corner of Main and Logan Streets. Environmental impact studies are under way for that project, which will be done next year. From there, plans call for a northward extension to Tippecanoe River State Park. Rails-to-trails advocates eventually want to connect the Panhandle and the Erie-Monon Trail, which runs southeast out of North Judson to U.S. 35. A small portion of that trail is paved in downtown Monterey. The challenge will be crossing the double-span railroad trestle across the Tippecanoe River between Monterey and U.S. 35.
Superintendent Charles Mellon noted that the way the increase of public school funding has been relayed to the public is quite deceiving. The two percent increase in the funding formula is correct, but he says there is a misconception that every school corporation in the state is getting a two percent increase.
The board had met April 23 to put some initial thoughts on paper and Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman will present those ideas again tonight to refresh discussion and initialize more input from the board on what they expect of his successor.
Williard E. George, 67, of Winamac, passed away on Sunday, May 5 at his residence. No funeral services will be scheduled. The Frain Mortuary in Winamac is in charge of arrangements.
The board approved the student accident insurance policy for the next school year.
An investigation into money found missing from an evidence storage locker at the Winamac Police Department has unearthed a suspect.
Daymond Hartley, a Winamac officer on the night shift, allegedly admitted to Winamac Police Chief Michael Buchanan that he took $6,352 from the storage locker while working a shift during the last week of March. The money had been collected as evidence after a fatal accident involving Jamie Sheets of Winamac.
The Monterey Bridge project is moving along despite the water issues experienced in April.
Bret Smiley, construction manager with United Consulting, said there was a bit of a flooding issue at the southern end of the bridge project, but that isn’t affecting the work being done this week on the north side of the bridge. The south side of the bridge project had been underwater and the workers have been working around that issue. LaPorte Construction built up a makeshift berm to help with erosion issues and to push back the river water.
Rain dates were built into the original construction schedule so Smiley noted the project is on schedule. They are drive piling the north side of the bridge so beams can be set this week and situating the crane so it can safely operate. Smiley said the ground is swelled with water and unstable so they are creating a safe platform for the crane.
Smiley said the retaining walls will be built in the next week or so.
Two Lafayette Central Catholic students are fighting side-by-side against leukemia, but they’re not alone in their battle. Last fall, Lafayette Central Catholic senior Patrick Mackey helped organize donations and garner support from the community for the family of Cooper Fulmer, the brother of senior Gavin Fulmer. Mackey learned that Cooper was beginning his treatments for leukemia, a condition Mackey takes very seriously due to the loss of his 15-year-old sister Clair to the disease in June 2011. In light of that, during the regional game against Lafayette Central Catholic last fall, Mackey and several other students made donations and lent their support to the Fulmer family.
Community service organizations throughout the area are celebrating Older Americans Month throughout the month of May, and Pulaski County Human Services as well as Community Services of Starke County have events planned to recognize older Americans and their impacts on the community. Joan Haugh, director of Community Services of Starke County, said the month honors seniors and makes an effort to inform them of the services available for their aid.
“As most people know, May has always been known as Older Americans Month, and this probably started way back in 1965, and it is just an opportunity to recognize seniors for all the value that they give to our community and try and make sure they realize where services that can improve their lives,” said Haugh.
Minor flooding is occurring in the Ora area and some residences have been affected.
The Winamac Town Park is closed while river waters have spilled into the park. Park Superintendent Rick Dilts says water remains on the roads in the lowest part of the park, which is located by the baseball diamonds. The ticket booth for the power show is about halfway underwater and the 4-H buildings in the back of the park are reportedly suffering flooding issues. Dilts indicated that there won’t be many tree branches or other debris to pick up and not a lot of damage is predicted.
Flooding in the Winamac Town Park has forced the cancellation of Saturday’s Pulaski County Fair Association breakfast. A new date has not been set. The river is expected to remain above the 10 foot flood stage in Winamac until at least this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Additional rain is possible later this week. The river is also out of its banks near Ora, where flooding is affecting nearby homes. It’s not expected to crest until early tomorrow morning.
Pulaski County will get an additional $582,393 from the state over the next two years. Marshall County’s share is $1.1 million, LaPorte County will get an increase of slightly over $1 million, and Jasper County will draw down an extra $718,122 per year.
The Association of Indiana Counties applauds the move as a great step forward in improving our state and local road networks.
