Ancilla College officials hope to break ground on the school’s first residence hall within the next three to four weeks. Vice President of Development Todd Zeltwanger says the school’s board of trustees approved the construction late last year.
“By August we hope to have a three-story residence hall with about 96 beds ready for occupancy for students from all over the area to come and live on campus and experience Ancilla College in a whole new way,” Zeltwanger said. Continue reading
A bill introduced in the Indiana Senate could make the playing field between public and private schools a bit different.
That’s according to North Judson-San Pierre Superintendent Lynn Johnson. Senate Bill 470 would allow for schools eligible to accept choice scholarships to use another nationally recognized assessment as opposed to the ISTEP program.
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The Oregon-Davis School Board members will take action on several agenda items when they meet tonight.
The Board will consider the adoption of a calendar for the 2015-2016 school year. The board held previous discussion on a balanced calendar to be in line with other area schools considering the move from a traditional school calendar. The board will also decide make-up days for students for school missed due to snow. Feb. 13, April 3, May 1 and May 29 will be considered as make-up days.
A live certificate tax sale is planned for Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. in the commissioners room in the Starke County Annex building. The sale will include delinquent properties that did not sell in the previous Starke County tax sale.
The county commissioners are authorized to offer a tax lien for sale of delinquent properties from a prior year’s county tax sale. In Tuesday’s sale, 47 previously unsold tax sale certificates will be featured and opening bids that equal less than the total amount due in delinquent taxes, costs and penalties.
Today is Presidents’ Day. Presidents’ Day is set aside to honor George Washington. The holiday was celebrated on Washington’s actual birthday on Feb. 22, but the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February on Jan. 1, 1971 by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
The United States Postal Service will not be processing or delivering mail today. The Pulaski County Courthouse and government offices will be closed to observe the federal holiday. Starke County and Marshall County government offices will be open.
Officers from the Hamlet Police Department responded to several calls of slide-offs and stranded motorists. Due to the conditions, deputies put the department-issued Humvee to work.
Extreme winds, snow and cold, made roads impassable in Starke County. Motorists were stranded and desperate for help. The hummer was deployed around noon on Saturday and officers were able to rescue 18 people from stranded cars along U.S. 30 and U.S. 35 along with others stuck on many county roads, according to a news release.
Lake effect snow had a bad effect on travel this weekend.
Emergency personnel responded to several slide-offs and many couldn’t get to their targets due to heavy blowing and drifting snow. Many deputies responding to accidents had zero visibility as they attempted to help motorists. Starke and Marshall County Emergency Management Agencies had to confer with county officials to enact travel status advisories.
A warning level travel advisory, which is the highest level of local travel advisory, has been issued in Starke County and Marshall County. During a Warning level travel advisory, travel is restricted to emergency personnel only. Individuals are directed to refrain from all travel, comply with necessary emergency measures, cooperate with public officials and disaster services force in executing emergency operations plans, and obey and comply with the lawful directions of properly identified officers.
Only essential travel such as to and from work or in emergency situations is recommended.
A former Knox High School teacher accused of exchanging inappropriate text messages with a minor has pleaded guilty.
This is the second case for 30-year-old Robert Corbin involving inappropriate contact with a student.
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Ancilla College officials are finalizing plans to add an agriculture degree program. Vice President of Development Todd Zeltwanger says all of the credits from the associate degree offering would be fully transferable to Purdue. He says school officials are putting finishing touches on the offering now in anticipation of a fall launch. Continue reading
State Senator Jim Arnold has introduced a resolution to honor the Indiana Sheriff’s Association.
The measure was introduced earlier this week in Indianapolis. The LaPorte Democrat spent 36 years in law enforcement, rising through the ranks to become LaPorte County Sheriff in 2007.
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Hoosier schools can celebrate Earth Day by scheduling a presenter from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to visit with their students. They will talk about their careers and share lessons about air, land and water quality. The interactive presentations are between 30 and 50 minutes long and include interactive activities like building an edible landfill or “Environmental Jeopardy.” They will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis from April 6-17. Each school may request up to four presentations. Continue reading
The state of Indiana has gained a bit of revenue for January compared to the previous year, but fell short of revised estimates.
According to the monthly revenue report from the State Budget Agency, General Fund revenues were $1.3-billion in January. That’s 2.4-percentage points above revenue collected for the same period last year. Those figures are still below estimates for the 2015 fiscal year published in December.
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A man and a woman face numerous drug charges after officers from the Hamlet Police Department and Starke County Sheriff’s Department reportedly found a one-pot meth lab and more inside their residence Wednesday afternoon. They were investigating a report of drug activity at the Hamlet Apartments at 205 South Main Street, according to officials with the Hamlet P.D. They say the residents agreed to a search of the apartment, and Starke County Sheriff’s Department K9 Terror indicated narcotics were present. The officers reportedly found a one-pot meth lab, methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, drug precursors and paraphernalia. Continue reading
There is support for an amendment to a bill that would help prosecutors attack the epidemic of methamphetamine labs and the dangers that meth production impose on residents.
The amendment to Senate Bill 536 sponsored by Senator Brent Steele targets meth production by making ephedrine and pseudoephedrine schedule IV controlled substances. The pills would only be available by a doctor’s prescription.
The Hamlet Town Board determined at its recent meeting to continue to have the County Election Board conduct its November Town election. The town pays a fee for the service.
The continuing snow fall is keeping Street Department busy. Street Superintendent Fred Rowe reported that as of February 11th it had plowed the town’s streets 8 times, racking up a total of 92 miles. There was also discussion of relieving standing water and ice build up on several streets. Continue reading
NIPSCO customers who are struggling to pay their utility bills are urged to contact the company’s 24-hour Customer Care Center to explore their options. They include state and federal payment assistance as well as resources available from local community action agencies. All three are based on income. Continue reading
A Walkerton woman who was arrested during a meth lab investigation in Hamlet faces additional charges after staff at the Starke County Jail allegedly found drugs during the booking process. Continue reading
U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski will attend a signing ceremony at the White House today for a bill she cosponsored. The Clay Hunt SAV Act provides greater access to mental health care for military veterans. It’s named in honor of Iraq and Afghanistan War veteran Clay Hunt, who committed suicide after battling with post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by his service overseas. He sought care from the VA and received a 30 percent disability rating for his PTSD. He appealed and encountered administrative obstacles, including the VA losing his files. Hunt took his life weeks later, and five weeks after his death his appeal was approved. Continue reading
Guilty verdicts were returned on three counts filed against Joseph Esposito.
The half-day trial began Wednesday morning in Starke Circuit Court, and two witnesses testified during the hearing including officer Frank Thomas from the North Judson Police Department and Indiana State Police Trooper Jim Strong.
