Public Hearing Held Regarding IU Health Starke Hospital Sale

Posted on Author WKVI
IU Health Starke Hospital

The public hearing regarding the possibility of selling IU Health Starke Hospital to IU Health La Porte was held yesterday evening, and a number of questions were answered regarding the sale. Several concerned citizens, including some hospital board members, were present at the meeting with questions.

The county officials discussed a possible amendment of the county ordinance restricting the use of the proceeds from the lease of Starke Memorial Hospital dated October 1, 1996. The amendment would authorize the use of up to $50,000 in Save the Hospital Funds to be used to hire a consultant to evaluate the hospital’s real and personal property.

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Public Encouraged To Voice Hospital Concerns and Questions At Public Meeting

Posted on Author WKVI
IU Health Starke Hospital

Starke County Council President Dave Pearman encourages the public to attend the public hearing of the County Council and Commissioners on Monday, May 14, at the Starke County Annex Building.

The county officials will discuss the possible amendment of the county ordinance restricting the use of the proceeds from the lease of Starke Memorial Hospital dated October 1st, 1996. The amendment would authorize the use of up to $50,000 in Save the Hospital Funds to be used to hire a consultant to evaluate the hospital’s real and personal property. Starke County Council President, Dave Pearman, said you are encouraged to attend this public hearing to ask questions and voice concerns.

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Starke County Bridge 34 To Be Replaced With Culvert

Posted on Author WKVI
Steve Siddall

The Starke County Commissioners heard more bridge news from Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall, who informed them that Bridge 34 will have to be removed from the county inventory and replaced with a culvert.

Siddall says that repairing the bridge, which he described as “shot,” would cost roughly $340,000– a hefty price tag for the county that is currently sinking available funds into more time-critical projects. He said the bridge could instead be removed and replaced with a culvert at an estimated cost of $20,000, saving the county over $300,000.

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Starke County Commissioners Hear Concern About Highland Cemetery

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Commissioners: Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom and Jennifer Davis

The Starke County Commissioners this week discussed a request regarding a new entrance at the Highland Cemetery. Officials at the cemetery have expressed their desire to open a section of the fence near County Road 300 West to add an additional entrance and exit.

The town of North Judson will cover the cost of the entrance, which was actually in use many years ago, but has since become overgrown and blocked off with a chain. The town wishes to cut down the growth and remove the chain, allowing vehicles to use the path.

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Starke County Receives $503,000 Grant to Improve Access to Knox Industrial Park

Posted on Author WKVI
Back Row: Greg Matt, Mayor Rick Chambers, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Donald Kring, City Attorney David Matsey. Front Row: Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg and Ron Parker

Congressman Joe Donnelly has announced that the Board of Commissioners of Starke County received a $503,000 grant to improve access to the Knox Industrial Park, an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. The grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). The grant will partially fund the State Road 8 and County Road 300 East intersection project.

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Starke County Convention and Visitors Commission Looking for Board Members

Posted on Author WKVI

Pat Mitchell, representing the Convention and Visitors Commission (formerly known as Starke County Visitors Association), appeared before the Starke County Commissioners last week to report that the membership had met even though they are missing three members.

Only four of the six members were present, but they did make a transfer of funds to the Starke County Tourism Commission.

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Bass Lake Residents Request Pier Placement at Shewski Road

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Commissioners: Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom and Jennifer Davis

Several Bass Lake residents got the answer they were seeking at the recent Starke County Commissioners meeting. The residents, who have placed a pier into the water at the end of Shewski Road in the past, petitioned the commissioners to allow them to do so again this year.

One of the sticking points was that the pier would be three feet over the access point in the lake. After several of the residents made points to the commissioners, a motion was made by Commissioner Jennifer Davis to allow the pier to be put in this year, and it will be studied and evaluated before the next season. That motion was approved unanimously as the room rang with applause.

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Starke County Officials Discuss the Money Value of IU Health Starke Hospital

Posted on Author WKVI

How much is IU Health Starke Hospital really worth?

Starke County officials have agreed to hold a hearing on May 14th to consider adding an addendum to the Save the Hospital document to help answer that question. By adding an addendum to the ordinance, the officials would be able to dip into the fund to finance the hiring of a consultant firm that would place a value figure on the hospital, equipment and more.

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Starke County Commissioners, Council to Discuss 9-1-1 Services

Posted on Author WKVI

One of the agenda items for the combined Starke County Council and Commissioners meeting tonight will be a method for paying for 9-1-1 dispatch services. The money is collected by the state, and will be distributed to the individual counties.

According to Auditor Kay Chaffins, last week the funding to maintain 9-1-1 services has been going down each year. In 2010, the county received $408,354. In 2011, the amount was $362,849.

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Betty and George Dotlich Appear before Starke County Commissioners

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Commissioners: Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom and Jennifer Davis

Betty and George Dotlich appeared before the Starke County Commissioners this week seeking answers to questions about a possible Board of Review session.

The pair have inquired before about a Board of Review hearing to examine the details of a permit issued to Julia Ford to place a structure next to their residence in rural Grovertown.

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Starke County Commissioners Approves Repair to Boom Truck

Posted on Author WKVI
Steve Siddall

The Starke County Commissioners gave Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall the go-ahead this week to have the boom truck repaired. At the March meeting, Siddall said the truck had been sidelined because of safety concerns and he asked to have it inspected. Siddall said that he was not willing to send an employee up in a 55-foot boom basket without first having it inspected and repaired. At this week’s board meeting, the needed repairs and cost estimate report was given to the commissioners who approved the request to have it brought up to safety standards.

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EMS Director Talks about Advantages of ALS Service in Starke County

Posted on Author WKVI
EMS Director Paul Mathewson, EMT Travis Clary and Paramedic Aaron Krizmanich

EMS Director Paul Mathewson appeared before the Starke County Commissioners yesterday and shared a story that points out the advantages of moving to Advanced Life Service here. On March 23rd, the ambulance crew was called out to a case where a television fell on a five year old girl from a dresser. Mathewson was on the run and reported that the likelihood of recovery initially looked gloomy, but because of the advanced training, the crew was able to begin treatment and take her into IU Health Starke Hospital. Once there, the girl was stabilized and a Med Flight helicopter was called in to get her to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis as quickly as possible.

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Software Request Tabled

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Commissioners: Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom and Jennifer Davis

The Starke County Commissioners yesterday tabled a request by the County Auditor, Kay Chaffins, and Interim Treasurer, Kasey Clark, for new financial software. George Zeltner, of Low Associates of South Bend, answered questions about how the system could streamline both offices, including the providing of information between the two governmental entities.

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Building Inspector Challenges Board of Review Hearing

Posted on Author WKVI

The back and forth argument over the placement of a structure in rural Grovertown might come before the Starke County Board of Commissioners today. Betty and George Dotlich have fought the issuance of a permit to Julia Ford since it was reissued in January. At the last Commissioners meeting, the pair asked the Board of Review to examine the BZA ruling that would allow the unit to stay on it’s location.

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Groundwater Quality Not an Issue at Old Starke County Landfill

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Commissioners: Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom and Jennifer Davis

Weaver and Boos Consultants had a brighter report for the Starke County Commissioners this month. The company has been contracted to monitor and provide solutions to problems at the old Starke County Landfill located at 625 East and 550 South. In monitoring the groundwater at the site, it was found that there is no significant impact on the water quality. The report stated that another test will be done in June or July and if that test proves negative, Weaver and Boos will contact state authorities about only monitoring the site once a year, or discontinue groundwater monitoring altogether.

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Contracts Signed for Debris Removal along Yellow River

Posted on Author WKVI
Yellow River

Contracts were signed last week by the Starke County Commissioners for work to be done by the Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission for debris removal work on the Yellow River.

“We’re going to start at the Marshall-Starke County line,” explained Commissioner Dan Bridegroom. “We’ll GPS all of the log jams, those will be bundled, and that’s the work they will bid on.”

Only recently more debris has gone into the river.

“We do know there was one big tree that fell in during the last big storm we had about three weeks ago. Since then, five more trees have gone into the water.”

The $150,000 grant to do the work is coming from the stimulus money offered two years ago. Territorial Engineering is now preparing the bid specifications and work will hopefully begin sometime this summer.