Legislation was recently filed in Indianapolis that could have implications for Pulaski County.
Senate Bill 58, if signed into law, would eliminate the Pulaski County Superior Court by January 1st, 2019. The bill would also remove certain appointment privileges in other counties. Continue reading
A disabled or stranded vehicle could potentially be a life or death situation due to cold temperatures and extended response times for police and tow truck drivers. If you do venture out, let someone know your route of travel, and keep your gas tank full when driving in cold weather. Pack a winter survival kit of blankets, extra warm clothes, a flashlight and extra batteries, a brightly-colored cloth to tie on your antenna for visibility, sand or a bag of cat litter to use for traction, a shovel, candles and matches, non-perishable, high-calorie foods like nuts, raisins and protein or energy bars, newspapers for insulation, a first aid kit and jumper cables. Continue reading
The Town of Winamac has issued a freeze warning for municipal utility customers. All residential and commercial water and sewer customers are recommended to leave an indoor cold water faucet running in a stream the size of a toothpick until further notice. Continue reading
The jury trial for a Denham man accused of killing his live-in girlfriend has been pushed back until spring. Pulaski Circuit Judge Michael Shurn set Paul Katschke’s proceeding for May 4. Continue reading
20th 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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U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly reintroduced legislation yesterday that could redefine a section of the Affordable Care Act.
Donnelly, along with Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Arkansas, introduced language that would change the current definition of full-time employee to a 40-hour work week.
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Police in Winamac can expand their living arrangements to the adjacent counties.
On Monday, the Winamac Town Board considered, and approved, a measure making the change. Previously, Winamac Police were required to live in Pulaski County. The move follows a review of the previous policy by the Board.
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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.
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
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
Today is the first day to file for candidacy for the Municipal Election. Candidates may file in the county clerk’s office.
In the City of Knox, District 1-4 council seats are up for election including an at-large seat. Voters will also elect a mayor, city clerk-treasurer and the judge of the city court.
The search is ongoing to fill the vacancy for Town Manager in Winamac.
Interviews with potential candidates are anticipated to be held today. An announcement on a new Town Manager could be made during Monday night’s Winamac Town Board meeting.
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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.
Bundle up before you head out, as a wind chill warning is in effect for northern Indiana through Thursday. A combination of very cold air and strong winds will make temperatures feel like they are in the 15 to 30-below-zero range. Frostbite, hypothermia and death are possible if precautions are not taken. Continue reading
Temperatures dropped overnight in Pulaski County and brought several inches of snowfall with it.
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department got a bit of a preview for potentially hazardous conditions during this weekend’s accumulation. Pulaski County Sheriff Jeff Richwine says if conditions get bad, they will pair emergency responders with Highway Department vehicles.
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The Winamac Town Board has reinstated several department heads within their government, but has seen a change in one of the board positions.
During their meeting Monday night, the Winamac Town Board elected Kenneth McFarland to serve as its next President. The term will be carried out over the next four years.
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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.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Kankakee Valley tonight into tomorrow morning. Snow is expected to overspread the area this evening and continue overnight, with three to five inches possible. Continue reading
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.
The Monterey Fire Department is purchasing Culver Fire Department’s old squad truck for $50,000. The money will go toward the purchase of Culver’s new squad truck expected to arrive later this month.
