Dermody Weighing Many Sides in Sunday Alcohol Debate

Dermody20th District State Representative Tom Dermody says he is still evaluating a bill that could affect consumers in Indiana.

House Bill 1026 would allow for those with a proper permit to sell alcoholic beverages for carryout on Sundays in the state. The bill, filed this week in Indianapolis, has not been presented to Representative Dermody – who chairs the often controversial Public Policy Committee.
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Retiring Pulaski County Officers May Keep Service Firearm

Pulaski County Sheriff's Department
Pulaski County Justice Center

The Pulaski County Commissioners approved an ordinance for the retention of issued duty weapons and issuance of retired identification for certain retired sheriff’s personnel.

The ordinance states that the commissioners may transfer county property valued at$1,000 or less without advertising the transfer or request bids. Pulaski County Sheriff Jeff Richwine believes it appropriate to allow an officer who is a retiring county merit deputy or sheriff in good standing to have one of their firearms as recognition of service to the county. That officer or sheriff must have served honorably as a merit officer of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office for a minimum of 20 years. The ordinance affects sheriff’s office personnel who have retired after Dec. 1, 2014.

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NIPSCO Warns of Bill Payment Scam

 
 

NIPSCO warns customers of a scam involving bill payments. Impersonators claiming to be NIPSCO employees call customers, tell them their bills are delinquent and request immediate payment to avoid a service disconnection.

Never give personal information, including Social Security numbers and banking information, to unconfirmed sources. NIPSCO only asks for a Social Security number when a customer is applying for new service or to validate an account holder when a customer calls to obtain account information, complete a transaction or service-related request over the phone. Continue reading

Prevent Against Hypothermia and Frostbite

 
 

With wind chills dipping well below zero for the next couple of days, protect yourself against the effects of hypothermia.

Your body temperature drops after prolonged exposure to the cold which causes abnormal activity of the heart, nervous system and other organs, according to information released by the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms of mild hypothermia include: shivering, dizziness, hunger, nausea, trouble speaking, slight confusion, fatigue, and increased heart rate

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Pulaski County Commissioners Reorganize, Hire New Recycling Center Director

Pulaski County Commissioners (L to R) Bud Krohn, Jr., Terry Young and Larry Brady
Pulaski County Commissioners (L to R) Bud Krohn, Jr., Terry Young and Larry Brady

The Pulaski County Commissioners reorganized to start 2015 where Larry Brady was retained as commission president while Terry Young was appointed as vice president. Bud Krohn, Jr. attended his first meeting as a commissioner Monday night.

The commissioners made several appointments to boards. Mark Fox was retained as supervisor of county highways, Dave Dare was retained as building inspector, Ed Fleury was retained as veteran service officer, Jeff Johnston as maintenance director and Sarah Kasten was retained as animal control officer.

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Jail Equipment Installation in Progress, Pulaski County to be Reimbursed for Concrete Work

Pulaski County Commissioners (L to R) Bud Krohn, Jr., Terry Young and Larry Brady
Pulaski County Commissioners (L to R) Bud Krohn, Jr., Terry Young and Larry Brady

Pulaski County Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston gave the commissioners an update on the equipment installation at the justice center. He said the water heater will be started up today and will run for the rest of the week before the old water heater is taken offline to be sure that everything works properly. The HVAC equipment is being ordered as well as the water softeners.

Johnston said the generator for the health department has been installed but there is a small problem that he is investigating.

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Pleasant View Rest Home Closure Underway

Pleasant View Rest Home
Pleasant View Rest Home

Officials are moving forward with the closure of the Pleasant View Rest Home in Pulaski County.

Board President Bob White told WKVI News that attorney Jere Humphrey has called county home officials to help with the paperwork to assist in placing the residents at a different facility or find other arrangements. Humphrey was appointed by the commissioners to help with the actions necessary to close the county home.

The county council at their meeting in December approved the defunding of the county home by a majority vote at their meeting on Dec. 8.  Because funding for the county home was not included in the 2015 budget, the county commissioners approved the official close of the facility by a vote of 2-1 on Dec. 23.

The residents or their representatives will be sent a letter and they will have two weeks to notify the attorney of their plan.  Once the attorney receives the information of where the residents will be moving, the residents then have 90 days to move from the Pleasant View Rest Home.  The facility is expected to be closed on March 31.

White thanked superintendent Deb Girton and the staff for their hard work in taking care of the residents. He also recognized the board members for their efforts.

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One-Time Energy Assistance Available to Struggling Citizens

$Applications for the Energy Assistance Program can still be submitted for a one-time benefit on electric and heating bills. North Central Community Action Agencies, Pulaski County Human Services, and Community Services of Starke County began taking applications for LaPorte, Pulaski and Starke residents in November. Applications will continue to be accepted until all funds are obligated.

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Celebrate the New Year Safely with Fireworks

 If you would like to celebrate the new year by discharging consumer fireworks, you may do so today beginning at 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. tomorrow morning.

Keep in mind that no person may use, ignite or discharge consumer fireworks on any public street or in any public park within the corporate limits of the City of Knox at any time. According to the ordinance, if the use of discharging consumer fireworks results in a fire and damage is determined to be caused by “negligence or the willful disregard or violation of any of the provisions”, that person will be fined an amount not to exceed $2,500 for the dispatch of firefighters and equipment.

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Resolve to Maintain a Better Budget in 2015

 Money management is difficult and many people resolve to budget better as the new year starts. Devan Wallen from Financial Partners in Knox says the first step to a better budget is to cut out unnecessary expenditures.

“Probably one of the first things you can do is to rid yourself of the non-necessity things. A lot of times people engage in bad habits like smoking, drinking, dining out, and shopping too much and that can cause quite a hindrance to the budget,” said Wallen.

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