Polls are Open for General Election

 
 

Today is Election Day! The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time.

You need to have a legal ID in order to cast your important vote at the polls. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles will be open during the time the polls are open. License branches will only process new, amended or replacement ID cards, and renewed, amended or replacement driver’s licenses, learner permits, and CDLs. Aside from disability placards, the branches will not perform any other BMV services today only.

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Equipment Installation in Progress in the Pulaski County Justice Center

Pulaski County Justice Center
Pulaski County Justice Center

The installation of equipment at the Pulaski County Jail is underway. Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston have the commissioners an update on the progress during last night’s meeting.

The metal work on the roof at the justice center is complete and a final walk through was conducted.

“The new water heaters are over halfway through the installation process,” said Johnston. “One of the water heater units is in place, but they haven’t fired it up yet. They won’t take the other one offline until they’re positive that it’s working correctly. On Nov. 10, I’m set to meet with the council to go over the sealed bids that you guys opened and made decisions on and get all of that worked out as far as the CAGIT goes.”

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Officials to Discuss Pleasant View Rest Home’s Historic Landmark Status in Thursday Meeting

Pleasant View Rest Home
Pleasant View Rest Home

The Pulaski County Commissioners and the Pulaski County Council will meet in joint session this week with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Historic Preservation and  Archaeology regarding the historical landmark status of the Pleasant View Rest Home.

The members of the historic preservation committee met on Oct. 22 to hear comments of support or non-support of the county home’s nomination as a historic landmark. The committee received 27 letters of support and Pulaski County Commission President Larry Brady was the only county representative who spoke to the panel.

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Pulaski County Sheriff Hires Part-Time Officers

 With the amount of retirements, officers seeking other employment and movement of personnel within the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, several part-time patrol officers have been hired to help provide safety to residents of the county.

Ten people have left the department in the past several months including a few deputies, a chief deputy, two detectives and three dispatchers.

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NIPSCO Now Accepting Winter Energy Assistance Applications

 
 

Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) utility customers who may need help paying their heating bills this winter can now sign up for the federal low income energy assistance program. Available assistance includes the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP. It’s available to households falling within 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines. Between Dec. 1 and March 15, Indiana natural gas utilities do not disconnect service to customers enrolled in LIHEAP who are behind on their bills. NIPSCO customers enrolled in LIHEAP also qualify for the Customer Assistance for Residential Energy, or CARE, program. It provides further bill reductions to eligible customers. Continue reading

Two More Chances to Vote Absentee

 
 

Voters have two more chances to vote absentee.

Starke County voters may vote today in the second floor meeting room in the Starke County Courthouse from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. CT. In Pulaski County, absentee voting is available from 8 a.m. to noon ET in the courthouse and absentee voting in Marshall County is in the courthouse today from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET.

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The Importance of One Vote

 
 

An Indiana farmer, from Switzerland County, changed the course of American history with his ONE VOTE back in 1842,

Freeman Clark was old and seriously ill. From his bed, he begged his sons to carry him to the county seat of Vevey, so he could cast his vote for his friend Daniel Kelso, who was running for the Indiana State Senate. They took him. He voted. And on the way home from his last public duty, Clark died.

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First Snow of the Season Possible Today

 
 

Trick-or-treaters could be trudging through the snow this evening to collect candy. The WKVI AccuWeather.com forecast calls for rain and snow showers this afternoon, with snow continuing into the overnight hours. Today’s high temperatures are only expected to hit the low 40s. Overnight we’ll dip into the mid-20s. Continue reading

Trick or Treat Hours 2014

Trick or Treat Hours 2014:

Friday, Oct. 31
Hamlet – 5:30-7 p.m. CT
Knox – 5:30-7 p.m. CT followed by costume judging and refreshments at Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center, sponsored by ABATE and the City of Knox.
North Judson – 5 p.m.-7 p..m. CT
Culver – 5-7 p.m. ET
Medaryville – 5-7 p.m. ET. Hot dogs and drinks will be available at the Lions Club and costume judging is at 7:15 p.m. in front of the fire department.
Winamac – 5-7 p.m. ET

Trick-or-Treat Night at the Pulaski County Justice Center

Pulaski County Justice Center
Pulaski County Justice Center

The staff at the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department had so much fun with last week’s trick-or-treat event at the justice center last week that they’re going to do it again tonight!

Sheriff Michael Gayer said the event last week was held in conjunction with the Halloween event at the Tippecanoe River State Park north of Winamac. He said that there are treats left to give to the kids of Pulaski County. Stop by the justice center tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET.

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Pulaski County Commissioners Approve Equipment Purchase for Justice Center

Pulaski County Justice Center
Pulaski County Justice Center

Pulaski County Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston told the commissioners last week that the opened sealed bids for the HVAC systems for the justice center were investigated to determine the reason for a large gap in pricing. Benchmark in Kokomo and McGrath Refrigeration in Knox both submitted sealed bids.

“I looked at this pretty in-depth and I can’t find a reason for it,” said Johnston. “It seems to me that McGrath’s is the way to go. Their units are comparable. It’s also practically half the cost. It would be my recommendation to go with $74,467 for the HVAC units as opposed to $135,000.”

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Pulaski County Receives Blight Elimination Grant

 
 

Pulaski County is the recipient of a Blight Elimination Program grant from the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority worth $147,000.

Dave Weber from the Pulaski County Building Administrator’s office said the grant will help rid the county of blighted structures.

“The funds are designed to demolish vacant, blighted or abandoned housing,” Weber explained. “This grant will last for a period of three years. In the grant application, we had to identify an end use. That end use could be anything. It could be the construction of a new home on that same lot or a community garden. At the end of that three year period, we’ll be left with a positive, constructive end use instead of a vacant lot where those abandoned homes once stood.”

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Last Week to Vote Absentee

 
 

This is the last full week to vote absentee in the General Election.

So far, Starke County has reported 661 walk-in, mail-in and travel board votes. Marshall County has reported 730 absentee votes and Pulaski County has reported 278 machine votes this far.

In Starke County, in-office absentee voting is today through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the second floor meeting room in the courthouse. The same hours will apply for Saturday, Nov. 1. Evening voting hours are available tomorrow and Thursday, Oct. 30 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. CT.

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Pulaski County CDC Director Gives Economic Update

Nathan Origer presents information to Pulaski County Commissioners
Nathan Origer presents information to Pulaski County Commissioners

The Pulaski County Community Development Commission Executive Director gave the commissioners some food for thought in their meeting this week.

Nathan Origer said the third and final site study has been done on a west side rail industrial development. Preliminary work will be sought to make sure the landowners are on board to move forward with efforts for economic development.

Origer presented a contract for a company to overhaul the county’s zoning ordinances.

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