Efforts to remove remnants from a downtown Monterey building will begin today.
The structure that housed the Sportsman’s Bar and Grill collapsed Thursday around 5 p.m. The building was empty at the time of the incident and attempts continue to notify the owner.
A fence surrounds what is left of the former business. Monterey residents helped Pulaski County Building Administrator David Dare and officials move the debris to a central location on the property to avoid injuries.
The Winamac Town Council will be working to get to organizations to cooperate.
A meeting was called for Tuesday morning to discuss future projects for Winamac Greenspace. The group is formerly known as the Tree Commission. The group is supposed to work with Arrowhead Country Resource Conservation and Development.
Work continues to secure an area in Monterey where a building collapsed this week.
The structure that once housed Sportsman’s Bar and Grill gave way around 5 p.m. ET on Thursday. The building was vacant at the time of the incident. No injuries were reported.
Pulaski County Building Administrator David Dare told WKVI news that work has been ongoing to move the rubble into a central location for removal next week. Efforts are being coordinated to remove the remaining debris beginning on Monday. Dare said fencing and caution tape surrounds the area to create a safer environment. Dare mentioned that several Monterey residents assisted officials in clean-up and securing the area.
Area bikers will have a chance for some food, and some spirituality, this weekend.
Kersting’s Cycle Center in Winamac is hosting its annual Biker Festival. Part of that festival includes giving the motorcycles of those in attendance a proper blessing.
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Pulaski County officials may receive the same information relayed to the Marshall County government bodies concerning funding for county roads.
Pulaski County Highway Department General Foreman Terry Ruff told the commissioners the county will have to scrap regular maintenance this year in order to fix roads damaged by the frost line. He says doing both would cost the county an additional $200,000. Ruff says 20 miles of roads will be worked on this year in the southern part of the county. Chip and seal work will be done, and severely damaged roads will be ground up and reconstructed.
The March unemployment rates in Starke, LaPorte and Jasper Counties are well above the state average, while Marshall and Pulaski Counties are slightly under that number. That’s according to figures released by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. Continue reading
A Winamac industry has been recognized for efforts to create employment opportunities for residents.
Officials from Galfab, Inc. received a WorkOne Achievement Award this week during a ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse.
Galfab, Inc. is a premier designer and manufacturer of waste equipment of all types. They partnered with WorkOne to utilize hiring services, along with the WorkKeys skills assessment and interviewing processes to locate, assess and identify individuals with the right skills for positions. According to the Indiana Workforce Development, over 40 welders have been hired in this partnership and over 20 young adults have received valuable work traits and industry knowledge through work experiences.
More income surveys are needed to help Pulaski County obtain a planning grant for a new EMS building.
Pulaski County Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer told the county commissioners this week that 500 surveys are needed, and only 100 have been returned.
The Pulaski County Commissioners received word this week that the Pleasant View Rest Home is now officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Commission President Larry Brady read the letter from the Department of Natural Resources that stated the county home located at 700 W. County Road 60 S. in Winamac was entered into the register on March 17.
The second round of the ISTEP test will be administered starting next week in area schools.
Students took the first portion of the test in March of this year – which covers English, Math, and for some students: Science and Social Studies. ISTEP is used to help measure student performance in a handful of subject areas.
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The last of the necessary surveys has been received to qualify for grant funds.
The Town of Winamac has expressed interest in exploring for additional water resources. Currently, there are two wellheads in the same water source that Winamac pulls from to bring water to local homes. Concerns over safety and contamination, however, have prompted the town to solicit funds to explore for a new source of water.
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Area motorists may have noticed farm implements on the roadways.
That’s because planting season is in full swing. Farmers often use local roads to navigate between fields. According to the Indiana Department of Transportation, this means car drivers should be more alert.
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Last week’s grain elevator accident in LaCrosse has prompted the Indiana Department of Labor to urge employers and employees to review grain handling facility hazards and how to prevent occupational injuries and fatalities.
Four employees at Co-Alliance were injured in an explosion caused by an industrial accident on April 15.
According to the Department of Labor, the grain handling industry is a high hazard industry where workers can be exposed to serious and life threatening hazards including fires and explosions from grain dust accumulation. Other hazards include suffocation from engulfment and entrapment in grain bins, falls from heights and crushing injuries, and amputations from equipment.
A county road will be vacated in Pulaski County.
Terry Ruff, who is the acting General Foreman at the Pulaski County Highway Department, said the county is spending a lot of resources on the dirt road at 1150 West between 900 South and 1000 South that basically acts as a path between two feuding property owners. Ruff is leery of accidents on the road and who would be responsible if there’s an issue. He said it’s not even suitable to plow.
The Pulaski County Election Board now has the full support of the county commissioners and the county council to research the feasibility of implementing e-poll books.
Election board member Laura Bailey requested permission from the county council last week to seek more information about e-poll books for the county’s polling sites. Voters would digitally sign in on an iPad when they arrive at one of the seven polling sites in the county to vote. The e-poll books would replace the printed registration books. A receipt would be issued to the voter and taken to an election official to bring up a ballot.
A single vehicle car accident has left one man with severe injuries.
Emergency responders in Pulaski County were called to the scene of an accident around 7:15 p.m. EDT to the area North of 200 North on 14 West. Authorities say witnesses in the area saw a Chevrolet Silverado crash after leaving the roadway, ejecting the driver from the vehicle.
The Pulaski County Council and Commissioners will be looking into gathering more funds for county roads.
Commission President Larry Brady said the roads severely deteriorated this past winter. Brady told the county council members this week that he chatted with the employees at the highway department who say they’re dipping into this summer’s funding to repair frost line-damaged roads.
Police continue to take reports of identity theft from residents attempting to file their 2014 income taxes.
An 18-year-old LaPorte man told LaPorte Police that his parents recently attempted to file their tax return with him listed as a dependent. The tax return was rejected, citing that someone else had already claimed the victim as a dependent. The victim also attempted to access his credit score and learned that a credit card, mortgage and home equity loan were fraudulently established using his identity.
