Older adults are invited to the Winamac Town Park today for the annual Pulaski County Human Services Senior Citizen Picnic. It takes place from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the community building. Food and beverages will be provided. Blood pressure screenings will also be available. The documentary “Age of Champions” will be screened as well. The Pulaski County Human Services Von Tobel Center in Winamac and West Side Center in Medaryville will both be closed so staff members can attend the picnic, and home-delivered meals will not be provided.
Pulaski County Commissioners to Meet in Special Session Tonight
The Pulaski County Commissioners will meet in special session tonight to discuss several items pertaining to the animal control office.
The commissioners will have time to openly talk about the Pulaski Animal Center and the animal control officer. The commissioners are attempting to decide which direction to take with each entity.
Demolition Order Tabled, Changes Made to WECS Ordinance
Pulaski County Building Inspector Dave Dare and David Weber presented a demolition order for an unsafe property on U.S. 421 in Francesville but it was tabled as property owner, Lawrence Sears, could not be located and wasn’t properly notified of the order.
Dare said he attempted certified mail and a response was not delivered. A public advocate for Sears said that he has not been able to respond due to a medical issue and the commissioners voted to table the order for 90 days until Sears has a chance to properly respond.
Winamac Man Arrested on Georgia Warrant
A Winamac man was arrested early Friday morning on a Georgia state warrant for rape.
The Winamac Police Department took 21-year-old Jeffery Mack into custody on the charge. He is being held without bond in the Pulaski County Jail.
The information into the nature of the alleged offense was not made immediately available.
INDOT Construction on Hold during Memorial Day Weekend
Community Garden Planned in Pulaski County
Natalie Federer and Debra Winters from the Pulaski County Extension Office requested permission from the Pulaski County Commissioners this week to put together a community garden just east of the historical society museum.
A grant was received to start the program. Six to eight moveable, raised beds would be placed on the property.
Anyone in the community can plant seeds in the beds and help maintain the plants. Extra food will be donated to the food pantry.
Attending the garden makes it easier with the help of garden tools. There are tool and machine reviews online that helps people find the right garden and lawn tools for their money.
Maxinkuckee Players to Present Bye Bye Birdie
Rehearsals will start soon for the Maxinkuckee Players Production of Bye Bye Birdie.
The musical is set in 1958 where an Elvis-type rock star, Conrad Birdie, is being drafted. His agent cooks up a promotional campaign that has Conrad visiting Sweet Apple, Ohio to give a farewell kiss to the president of his local fan club.
River Overlook Dedication Planned at Tippecanoe River State Park
The first of two new overlooks at Tippecanoe River State Park will be formally dedicated during a brief ceremony this morning. William and Sandra Goble of Winamac donated $4,500 for construction of the overlook in memory of their son, Greg. He worked the park and spent much of his life enjoying the river. Last year volunteers tore out the old overlook to build the new structure, and several local companies donated materials and labor. The Goble family will join Tippecanoe River State Park employees and Friends of Tippecanoe River State Park members at 11 a.m. EDT to dedicate the structure. It’s located behind the park’s nature center. The ceremony will be followed by a brief, catered meal.
Pulaski County Highway Department Working on Several Projects
The Pulaski County Highway Department crew has been busy working on spring projects. Highway Superintendent Mark Fox said a lot of grading and culvert work has been done.
Commission President Larry Brady asked about the miles of roads that will be paved this summer and Fox said the winter really took a toll on roads this year.
Culver School Board Calls Meeting to Hire New Administrator
The Culver Community School Board appears poised to hire a combination assistant principal and athletic director for the middle and high schools. They’re meeting Tuesday, May 27 at 7:15 p.m. EDT at the administration office for that purpose. Culver Superintendent Dr. Vicki McGuire stresses the schools will remain separate. She says the corporation is just combining the administrative roles in order to save money. The meeting is open to the public. It will follow an executive session, presumably for the purpose of reaching a final decision. Final action on all personnel decisions must take place during a public meeting.
Officers Continue with Click it or Ticket Campaign
A higher volume of traffic will be hitting the roads this Memorial Day holiday. Be aware that the police will be patrolling the highways for drivers who may be impaired, following too closely or may be unrestrained.
Indiana State Police officers and 249 other law enforcement agencies in the state are in the midst of the Click it or Ticket campaign. This enforcement focuses on seat belt usage and will be in full effect this weekend. It continues until June 1.
Generator Issue for Two Pulaski County Entities Still under Discussion
Officials in Pulaski County are still looking into getting more details in outfitting the county home and the Pulaski County Health Department with generators.
In previous settings, county home and health department workers have asked the commissioners for hard-wired generators that will be activated if the power would happen to go out. Currently, there isn’t a generator on hand to keep the power going in an instance of a storm or other event where the electricity could be out for some time.
Pulaski County Commissioners Discuss Emergency Meetings, Spending Limit for Maintenance Director
The Pulaski County Commissioners took action to raise the amount of money allotted for the maintenance department in the case of an emergency situation.
Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston brought up the issue of emergency calls and the attempts to get a hold of commission members to approve a decision on how to move forward with the emergent issue at hand. The commissioners reiterated that Johnston has the authority to make the best, quickest and most cost-effective measures to take care of what needs to be done, but County Attorney Kevin Tankersley noted that some of the processes that have been done to seek commissioners’ approval of the emergent issue and money needed are not being handled in the best practice. He explained that any decision that requires immediate attention by the commissioners containing purchases over the minimum purchase requirement needs to be done in an a public emergency meeting.
Franchise Transfer Resolution Between TV Cable of Winamac and PWRTC Presented to Pulaski County Commissioners
Eric Galbreath from TV Cable in Winamac and Mark Dickerson, CEO of Pulaski/White Telephone Cooperative, went before the Pulaski County Commissioners last night to requesting the transfer the franchise from TV Cable to Pulaski/White Telephone Cooperative (PWRTC).
Pulaski County K9 Officers on the Job
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department has two new K9 officers and they’ve already been out in the field, according to Sheriff Michael Gayer.
The pair, Travis Clark and Ryan Austin plus their K9 partners, recently graduated from a six-week training course and are being called out on a regular basis.
“They deploy the K9s just about on every traffic stop that they’re involved in,” said Sheriff Gayer. “They’ve also been called out by other agencies around us requesting K9 support.”
Emergency Medical Services Week Observed This Week
The 40th observance of Emergency Medical Services Week is this week.
EMS week serves as a recognition to all the dedicated people within the profession and aims to increase awareness about what local EMS services have to offer. Officials aim to help promote the efforts of EMS services within the community, educate the public on safety and health-related topics and provide information on new EMS procedure and equipment.
Unemployment Numbers Decreasing in Indiana
The state’s unemployment rate has decreased.
The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate decreased 0.2 percent to 5.7 percent which marked the ninth month in a row of unemployment rate declines in the state.
The rate has decreased by 2.1 percent over the past year and has remained below the national rate for the past four months.
Pulaski County Officials Considering Payroll Software
The Pulaski County Council and Commissioners want more information about a proposed electronic payroll system for county employees before committing to the expense. They have several options to consider, including electronic swipe cards and fingerprint recognition keypads for employees to clock in and out. Auditor Shelia Garling says such a system would much more efficient than the manual time cards and reports the county is currently using. The data will first go to the auditor’s office for review before it is sent to Adaptasoft to process payroll, taxes and direct deposits. Garling says this will alleviate the hassle of processing paper payroll reports and would cut down on the time department heads spend compiling that information from time cards. She told the council she would like to have the software in place by Oct. 1 if possible. The council and commissioners plan to discuss options more thoroughly in a joint session before making any decisions.
Starke County Crossing School on Track to Open Aug. 1
The Crossing accredited alternative school in Starke County is moving along, according to Executive Director Rob Staley.
He told WKVI News that several community meetings have been held and he’s encouraged about seeing the leaders that are jumping on board in support of the school. He noted that there is a great need in the community to help educate students who may have been expelled, dropped out or home-schooled.
Eastern Pulaski School Board Adds J.E.S.S.E. Staff to Payroll
The Logansport J.E.S.S.E. Co-op is de-centralizing and since the Eastern Pulaski School Corporation is a part of that co-op the Eastern Pulaski School Board had to make some clarification and housekeeping changes regarding some staff members.
