Ron Powers has attended his final regularly-scheduled meeting as a member of the Pulaski County Council. He’s retiring at the end of the month after two four-year terms, as is Pulaski County Sheriff Mike Gayer. Tensions between the two have frequently spilled over into meetings. Monday night Gayer set that aside. Continue reading
An Eastern Pulaski School Board member was honored Monday evening for 22 years of service. John Kwiatkowski is retiring from the board at the end of this year. He served two stints on the board as the representative from Franklin Township. The first was from 1968 until 1978. During that time the elementary school was built. Continue reading
A local soldier is returning home from Afghanistan this evening. Cody Foust will be welcomed home with a police and fire escort and a salute at the Knox VFW. Continue reading
The Pulaski County Council is moving forward with plans to close Pleasant View Rest Home. Councilman Doug Roth’s motion for a one-time additional appropriation of $204,846 to keep the home open through 2015 in order to transition toward closure did not pass.
“There’s a big difference between the legal way and the right way. I have no doubt we’ll do it the legal way, but I’m going to say right now we haven’t done it the right way from the start,” Roth said. Continue reading
The Eastern Pulaski School Board did not adopt a final design for the proposed $14 million building renovation project when they met last night. Superintendent Dan Foster says around 80 percent of the final design is complete.
A Winamac man police say asked several Walmart patrons for gas money faces panhandling charges in LaPorte County. Officers responded to a report of suspicious behavior at the store on Boyd Boulevard in LaPorte around 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3. Several patrons described the suspect as a tall, white man with tattoos on his hands. He was said to be with a teal Dodge Neon with a heavyset white woman with red hair in the passenger seat. Continue reading
Attention kids, WKVI has your hotline to Santa Claus this holiday season. We’ve set up a special voicemail box at the radio station to send messages directly to the North Pole. Have your parents help you call 574-772-6241 ext. 135 between now and Tuesday, Dec. 23 and tell Santa what you want for Christmas. In addition to passing the messages along to Santa, WKVI’s Tom Berg will play select messages back on his morning show.
At least one member of the Pulaski County Council feels the decision to slash funding for Pleasant View Rest Home from the 2015 budget was made in haste. Councilwoman Alex Haschel did not attend the Oct. 13 meeting when that vote was cast. It passed 3-2 with Councilmen Mick Tiede, Roger Querry and Tom Roth in favor of not funding the home and Ron Powers and Doug Roth opposed. Council President Jay Sullivan only votes in the event of a tie. Haschel announced plans during the Nov. 11 council meeting to bring a motion tonight to rescind the prior council action and restore funding for the home. Should that motion pass, the procedural protocol is unclear, as the county’s budget has already been submitted to the state. Continue reading
The Eastern Pulaski School Board will review the final design for the proposed $14 million building renovation project when they meet this evening. It includes upgrades to the elementary, middle and high schools. Main entrances will be secured and restrooms will be updated. Continue reading
The Winamac Town Council will meet in regular session tonight at 7 p.m. EST. The meeting will take place at the Municipal Utility Complex across from the Plymouth Tube on State Road 14.
The North Judson-San Pierre Middle School Student Council is sponsoring a Pennies for Patients drive through the Indiana chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Proceeds will help Indiana youngsters who suffer from blood diseases. Student council members hope to raise $4,000. Continue reading
The West Central School Corporation is ready for 2015. Board members closed the books on 2014 when they met Thursday by passing a resolution to move money as necessary to end the calendar year in the black. It also encumbers funds from 2014 accounts for use in 2015. Continue reading
For the past 25 years, traffic has picked up significantly in the town of Pulaski this time of year. The annual Christmas lights are on display and will remain so through the end of the year. Enjoy a great lighted barn scene, a giant wreath, a nativity scene, bears throwing packages across the street, a fountain, Santa in a helicopter and an airplane, skaters, a paddleboat and much more.
Educators at several local schools will receive a share of the $30 million in Teacher Performance Grants awarded by the state to more than 1,300 schools. Funds were given to schools with students earning ISTEP+ or end of course assessment passing scores of 72.5 percent or above or with a growth in graduation rates of 5 percent ore more from the previous year. Teachers who are rated effective or highly effective under Indiana’s teacher evaluation system for the 2013-2014 academic year will be paid based on student performance. Continue reading
Pulaski County EMA Director Larry Hoover presented the commissioners Monday night with paperwork for an EMPG grant worth $8,485.29.
Hoover told WKVI News that he will be using the grant money to purchase rescue equipment. The piece of equipment that will be the most costly is a trailer in which to house the equipment. He plans on purchasing heavy lifting air bags and other equipment needed to aid workers in emergency situations.
The Winter Wonderland Festival in Winamac is today, and WKVI will be there. Jerry Curtis and Tony Ross will broadcast from noon until 1 p.m. ET amidst the crowd and vender booths. Stop by and say hello while catching the spirit of Christmas at this annual event, presented by the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce.
The Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce’s Winter Wonderland event is tomorrow in downtown Winamac from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET.
Several craft and business booths will be set up in different locations including the Vurpillat Opera House, fire station, Refined, Christian Church and the New Beginnings Church. Local businesses will have sales for Christmas shoppers. The Lion’s Club toy drive and the craft and bake sale will be at the Pulaski County Human Services building, the Iris-Elm Garden Club holiday arrangement show will be at the train depot and the boy scouts coat drive will take place on the courthouse lawn.
Pulaski County Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer will meet with Senator Ed Charbonneau and State Representative Doug Gutwein next week to talk about the CAGIT tax issue.
Origer will talk with the legislators about changing legislature to require that the special CAGIT tax be used to pay the jail lease instead of that money coming from the CEDIT fund as legislation currently reads. Origer argues that the CEDIT fund should be used for economic development projects and not for the jail lease.
