Starke County Commissioners Discuss Burn Ordinance at Recent Meeting

Starke County Commissioners ( L to R ) Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom, Jennifer Davis

When is a burn ban, not a burn ban? According to the Starke County Commissioners, it’s when a local ordinance is updated that would spell out the penalties for violations. Commission President, Dan Bridegroom, said this week that when the burn ordinance was discussed it came out as meaning a “burn-ban” and that is not what the commission wanted to convey to the public.

“I think the biggest misconception right away was the word ‘ban’ was in everything they read,” said Commission President, Dan Bridegroom. “As soon as I would explain to the people that called me and talked to me and stopped me, it’s not a ban, then they were ok. They were ok almost immediately to know that they can still burn their leaves and burn their brush. I guess that part of the blame should fall back on us in that we didn’t get it out, specifically, what we were looking at.”

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Week in Review for December 6th-10th, 2010

Here is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week.

Diana Jedynak, 67, died of fire related injuries after her home caught fire early Monday morning in Washington Township. Indiana State Fire Marshal, Fred Sumpter, said the investigation into the cause of the fire was postponed due to the weather conditions and the integrity of the structure.

Northwest Indiana Forum, Inc.

The Northwest Indiana Forum’s Board of Directors have voted to acknowldge the organization’s service territory to extend beyond Lake, Porter, LaPorte and Starke Counties to include Newton, Jasper and Pulaski Counties.

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North Judson Town Board Approves First Reading of Synthetic Marijuana Ordinance

North Judson Town Board
North Judson Town Board: (L to R) Dan Anderson, Jane Ellen Felchuk, Wendy Hoppe, Connie Miller (Clerk-Treasurer)

The North Judson Town Board approved the first reading of an ordinance that prohibits the sale of synthetic marijuana within the incorporated town of North Judson. The ordinance mirrors the same guidelines as passed by the Starke County Commissioners. The Knox City Council has approved a similar ordinance on second reading and the final reading will be discussed at its meeting on Tuesday, December 14th.

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Starke County Commissioners Approve Motion to Close out Federal Grant

Starke County Commissioners
Starke County Commissioners: Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom and Jennifer Davis

The Hamlet Infrastructure grant was discussed at the most recent Starke County Commissioners meeting. Starke County Development Foundation Director, Charles Weaver, requested, and received, permission to begin the process to close out the Federal Economic Development Administration Grant. Starke County received almost $2 million dollars from E.D.A. toward the water tower in the Hamlet West Park, the installation of about 2 miles of 12 inch water mains, fire hydrants, and the installation of one mile of sanitary sewer lines to service the industrial area.

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Federal Government Looking to Ban Synthetic Marijuana

Dan Bridegroom with Kaboom
Starke County Commissioner Dan Bridegroom inspects synthetic marijuana product

A Lake Station store owner is suing the City over an ordinance banning the selling of synthetic marijuana products. The store owner says under the new ordinance, over the half the items in his store could be considered synthetic marijuana.

The U.S. Government is considering a ban on products that mix herbs and synthetic chemicals that mimic marijuana. Government officials say it appears the products are dangerous.

The Knox City Council and the Starke County Commissioners are in the process of banning these products.

Starke County Commissioners Asked to Classify County Road as Rural Major Collector

Charles Weaver
Charles Weaver

Starke County Development Foundation Director Charles Weaver appeared before the County Commissioners at it’s most recent meeting. He asked the Board to sign an application to be submitted to the Indiana Department of Transportation to classify County Road 300 East, between Culver Road South and State Road 8 on the North, as a rural major collector.

“This makes that parcel of road eligible for eighty percent federal financing on a highway project,” said Weaver.

The major collector will link the road that will be rebuilt to state standards to service not only the industry in that area but the residents and other users as well.