Starke County officials are moving ahead with the implementation of a four-way stop at a rural intersection to address sight distance problems. Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler asked officials with the Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program at Purdue University to study three intersections and make safety recommendations. Continue reading
Starke County Highway Department Paving Operations Continue
The Starke County Highway Department is preparing to pave and wedge another 10 miles of roads this month. Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the county commissioners Monday crews have already paved and wedged more than 10 miles of roadway. Continue reading
INDOT Officials Reviewing Community Crossings Grant Applications
INDOT officials are reviewing nearly 1,600 applications for matching grant funding for local road and bridge improvement projects. They were submitted by 325 communities across the state. All are seeking their share of funds from the Community Crossings program set up this year by the Indiana General Assembly. Continue reading
Hamlet Council Agrees to Proceed with Road Funding Plans
The Hamlet Town Council voted last night to fund the paving of several streets with money in their economic development income tax fund. The Starke County Highway Department has agreed to do the work if the town will pay for the materials to pave 1.2 miles of roads. Continue reading
Starke County Highway Department Continues Road Paving Operations
Road paving season is under way in Starke County. Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler says crews wedged a total of five miles of asphalt through the county in June. Plans call for an additional five miles of paving in July. Continue reading
Starke County Highway Department Anticipated Bridge Replacement Savings
The Starke County Highway Department is looking to save a significant amount of money on a bridge project by using materials they already have on hand. Continue reading
WorkOne Expands County Job Training Program
The recently announced job training partnership between the Starke County Highway Department and WorkOne has been expanded. It was initially designed to give young people up to age 24 who are not in high school or college a chance to learn “soft skills” like arriving at work on time and showing up for scheduled shifts. Continue reading
WorkOne, Starke County Highway Department Team Up to Offer Worker Training
Young people looking to gain work experience will have an opportunity to do so this summer after action Monday night by the Starke County Commissioners. They approved a partnership between the county highway department and the local WorkOne office. County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler says it will give young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not in high school or college a chance to learn “soft skills” like arriving at work on time and showing up for scheduled shifts. Continue reading
Highway Department Realizes Winter Supply Savings
The mild winter resulted in considerable savings for the Starke County Highway Department. Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the county commissioners Monday evening they used 25 percent less sand and 50 percent less salt compared to last year. Continue reading
Road Closed for Bridge Repair
A road in northeast Davis Township will be closed for the next few months to accommodate a bridge replacement. The Starke County Highway Department has shut down 700 North between 500 East and U.S. 35 to replace the bridge over the Robbins Ditch built in 1975. The road is expected to reopen in early June. Continue reading
Sheriff Urges Motorists to Watch for Inmates
Inmates from the Starke County Jail have resumed picking up trash along local roadways. The work crew of between three and five people is under the supervision of a jail employee. Continue reading
Starke Highway Safety Plan Results in Fewer Wrecks
The safety program implemented in March 2013 by the Starke County Highway Department is apparently paying off. Superintendent Rik Ritzler cites crash data from the state.
“Our crashes in the past two years have dropped dramatically. It was at 196 in 2012, 154 in 2013 and 128 in 2014. We believe it’s even lower than that in 2015. They should be getting those statistics out sooner this year because they have it more automated than they’ve had in the past.” Continue reading
Starke County Highway Department Reports Winter Savings
The relatively mild winter has resulted in considerable savings for the Starke County Highway Department. The nine winter events recorded last month cost slightly more than $50,000, according to information highway superintendent Rik Ritzler shared with the county commissioners this week. That figure includes money spent on diesel fuel, salt, sand and employee overtime. Last January the county spent more than $86,000, and two years ago January winter operations cost more than $130,000. The savings will be invested in road maintenance. Continue reading
Bridge Repair Forces Road Closure
A Starke County road will be closed for bridge repair. Starting today 25 North between 500 and 600 East will be shut down. No timeline has been offered as to when the bridge will reopen.
Improvements Underway at Starke County Highway Department
Phase one of the Starke County Highway Department’s five-year facilities upgrade plan is underway. Continue reading
Starke County Highway Announces Bridge Restriction
Broken Diesel Pump Proves Costly for Starke County EMS
Starke County EMS has been paying retail diesel fuel prices for the past several weeks due to a problem with the pump at the county highway garage. They haven’t been able to use it due to an issue with the system that keeps track of which fuel goes to which account for billing purposes. Continue reading
Starke County Commissioners Act on Salary Requests
The Starke County Commissioners are recommending the county council increase the emergency medical services director’s salary by $4,000. That would bump Keith Emigh’s annual pay to $45,000, pending council approval. Continue reading
Starke County Election Board Approves Paving Project
The Starke County Election Board should be able to close out a federal grant for polling site improvements soon. Help America Vote Act funds were used to make the Bass Lake Lions Club building used in North Bend Township handicap accessible. Continue reading
Starke County Highway Department Readies for Winter
It’s only the first week of August, but officials with the Starke County Highway Department are already planning for winter. Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the county commissioners this week the county’s salt cost has gone down significantly over last year. The county piggybacks on the state’s bid and is able to realize considerable savings as a result. Ritzler says the price per ton has gone down from $73.62 to $65.32. If this winter is comparable to last year’s, he says that will save the county about $10,000. Continue reading
