Friday was the last day that individuals could file a declaration of candidacy for the Municipal Primary Election.
Continue readingStarke and Pulaski County Candidates Filed for Municipal Primary Election
Travel Watch Implemented in Starke and Pulaski Counties
The travel status in Pulaski and Starke Counties has been raised to an orange level Travel Watch. As of 9:30 p.m. ET, Marshall County was still at a yellow level Travel Advisory.
Continue readingInformation to Keep In Mind As You Prepare for Saturday’s Snow Fall
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Saturday in many Northern Indiana counties, including Marshall, Pulaski, and Starke.
In Pulaski County, the Advisory goes into effect at 5 a.m. EST on Saturday while in Starke and Marshall Counties, it is anticipated to go into effect at 8 a.m. EST. The Winter Weather Advisory in all three counties will remain in effect until midnight.
Continue reading2018 Community Crossings Matching Grant Recipients Announced
A few local municipalities will be receiving funding assistance to complete some needed roadwork thanks to the Community Crossings Matching Grant Program. The City of Knox received $346,138.07, the Town of Francesville received $131,854.29 and North Judson will be getting $93,010.50.
Starke County also applied for Community Crossings funds and received a total of $454,002. Continue reading
Starke County Council Approves Budgets
In a brief meeting held Monday night, the Starke County Council members approved the budgets for Starke County, Starke County Airport, North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation, Solid Waste, and the Koontz Lake Conservancy District.
Starke County Asset Mapping Workshop Uncovers Moments of Excellence
One of the final topics that local officials took a look at during last week’s asset mapping workshop were moments of excellence in Starke County’s history.
Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jessica Craig spoke on behalf of the group who identified some of these important moments. Continue reading
Starke County Council, Commissioners to Meet Tonight
The Starke County Council members will hold several public hearings on budgets tonight. Those public hearings will include the budgets for Starke County, North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation, Starke County Airport, Solid Waste Department, and the Koontz Lake Conservancy District. A public hearing is also set for the Cumulative Capital Development Fund Additional Appropriation.
School Board Candidates File for General Election
Friday was the deadline to file for those seeking an open school board seat in the local Clerk’s Office to be included on the November General Election ballot.
Local Officials Consider Existing Assets Within Starke County while Talking with Stellar Community Project Manager
When community leaders gathered in the Starke County Economic Development Foundation’s office last week for an informational meeting about OCRA’s Regional Stellar initiative, they were asked to consider some of the existing assets within the county.
Stellar Community Project Manager Michael Sinnet said they should consider a variety of different elements within the community that could encompass a number of categories including natural, human, financial and physical assets. Continue reading
Kid’s Closet Ministry to Host ‘Pack-a-Backpack’ Event Tonight and Tomorrow
Starke County students who need some assistance securing supplies before they head back to school can swing by the Pack-a-Backpack event.
The Kid’s Closet Ministry will be hosting their annual event tonight and tomorrow night at the North Judson United Methodist Church fellowship hall from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on both evenings. Continue reading
Knox City Council Considers Economic Revitalization Area Request from JW Hicks
Knox City Council members held a public hearing and considered a resolution related to the designation of an Economic Revitalization Area in the Industrial Park when they met last Tuesday.
The request came from JW Hicks, Inc, as an expansion project unfolds at their Knox location. Founder James W. Hicks discussed the anticipated cost for the project. Continue reading
Starke and Pulaski County Unemployment Statistics From May
The most recent Indiana Department of Workforce Development unemployment report reveals a growing labor forces in Starke and Pulaski counties and fairly consistent unemployment rates.
From April to May, the labor force in Pulaski gained 338 additional workers and 321 more people were described as employed. Conversely, there were 19 more people determined to be unemployed and the rate rose slightly from 2.9 to 3.0 percent.
Starke County’s rate remains higher than that of their neighbors to the south and west. However, the county did see a slight decrease from April to May, going from 3.9 to 3.8 percent unemployment. Continue reading
FEMA Officials Provide Additional Guidelines in Public Notice
FEMA recently issued a public notice in regards to the major flooding that occurred earlier this year and the subsequent public and individual funding assistance being offered to several counties including Starke, Pulaski, Marshall and La Porte.
The notice, provided by Starke County EMA Director J. Nier, reportedly concerns activities that may affect historic properties, ones that are located in or affecting wetland areas or the 100-year floodplain and critical actions within the 500-year flood plain. FEMA officials report that such incidents may adversely affect the historical property, floodplain, or wetland or could result in continuing vulnerability to flood damage. Continue reading
Starke County Wants to be Designated a Regional Stellar Community and Officials Are Taking Steps to Get There
What will it take for Starke County to be designated a Regional Stellar Community?
That is the question that was answered Thursday night when various county, city and town officials met at the Starke County Economic Development Foundation Office to find out what steps they can start taking in order to submit a competitive application in the future. Continue reading
Individual FEMA Assistance Now Available to Pulaski and Starke County Residents Impacted by the Flooding
According to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Individual Assistance from FEMA is now available to 13 more counties, including Starke and Pulaski.
Now that Starke and Pulaski counties are eligible for Individual Assistance, homeowners and renters whose primary residence was damaged by the flooding that occurred between February 14th and March 4th can apply for federal disaster assistance.
The funds are intended to cover uninsured losses for flood damages. Individuals are encouraged to register with FEMA before the deadline of Thursday, July 5th. Continue reading
President Trump Approves Funding for Areas Affected by Flooding
President Donald Trump announced Friday that a major disaster exists in Indiana which makes federal funding available to affected residents in eight counties including Marshall County.
Starke County Community Corrections Director Retiring
The Director of Starke County Community Corrections for the past nine years is entering retirement after Friday, April 6.
Robert Hinojosa has spent the past 30 years in community corrections with the majority of his experience in Lake County. He says Starke County has grown in the past nine years with communication between departments.
Starke County and Pulaski County Health Rankings for 2018
The annual County Health Rankings Reports have been released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute.
While Pulaski County Ranked higher than Starke County in health factors and outcomes, their rank fell compared to last year while Starke County saw an improvement in each category. Continue reading
Kankakee River Basin Commission Votes to Fund Preliminary Repair Costs
When Kankakee River Basin Commission members met Thursday morning, they permitted a total of $254,000 to be paid to three counties in order to assist with immediate repair needs resulting from the recent flooding.
Initially, members considered having all funding requests submitted at a meeting that would be held within the next 30 days but a few members said there were some issues with that idea. Continue reading
Emergency Management Officials Coordinate Response Efforts For Residents Affected by the Floods
As the flood waters start receding, emergency management officials are beginning to plan out ways to assist those most severely impacted by the recent floods.
The Salvation Army recently delivered a few clean-up kits to emergency management officials in both Starke and Pulaski County. Starke County EMA Director J. Nier and Pulaski County EMA Director Sheri Gaillard said they will be handing those out to the citizens who need them in the near future.
They also said they’ll be conducting more thorough damage assessments once the water recedes more. However, residents are still reminded to fill out damage assessment reports through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to assist with relief efforts. Only uninsured property damage should be reported. Continue reading
