Starke County EMS spent nearly $2,000 last month to keep its fleet on the road. Director Keith Emigh told the commissioners Monday night most of that money went toward the truck at the Grovertown base. He says repairs at the county highway garage cost $1,764.10. Additionally an air conditioning problem on the rig based at Knox and a blower motor problem on the North Judson truck had to be fixed. Continue reading
A Starke County employee who was relieved of his duties during Monday’s commissioners meeting has filed a grievance seeking to be reinstated. The commissioners voted 2-0 to replace Veterans Service Officer Terry Turner with Mark Gourley. Commissioner Don Binkley made the motion to terminate Turner, and President of the Commissioners Kent Danford seconded it. Commissioner Kathy Norem did not vote.
After the meeting Danford said he has received several complaints about Turner. Continue reading
Starke County inkeepers taxes are now payable to the county treasurer’s office each month. The forms that need to be submitted with those payments are available on the county’s website, and any questions can be directed to the treasurer’s office. Payments were previously submitted to the state. Continue reading
Starke County officials have settled the lawsuit filed by a former elected official. Linda Belork was exonerated of wrongdoing in 2012 after the Starke County Commissioners removed her from office in August of 2011. Continue reading
The Starke County Commissioners may soon own the site of the former county landfill again. They approved a claim for $25,473.55 from the County Economic Development Income Tax, or CEDIT, fund to buy the 22-acre property, subject to satisfactory title work. Continue reading
The Starke County Commissioners are going to offer the owner of the former county landfill site what they believe is a fair price for the 22-acre property. The landfill on 750 East just north of State Road 10 has been closed for several years but is still subject to Indiana Department of Environmental Management monitoring to ensure levels of methane gas are in compliance. Continue reading
The Starke County Commissioners have revised their nepotism policy to mirror state law. The county has had an ordinance on the books since 2011 to address favoritism granted to relatives without regard to merit. The changes bring the county’s policy in line with a state law that’s since been passed. County attorney Marty Lucas says it defines a relative as a parent or stepparent, a child or stepchild, a brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister, niece or nephew, daughter-in-law or son-in-law. For purposes of the ordinance, an adopted child is the same as a natural child. Brother and sister includes brother and sister by half-blood. It otherwise leaves the ordinance the same. Lucas says this change will make potential legal challenges to the law easier to defend. The policy only applies to county government employees who work in the same office or department.
