In response to a proposed increase in the minimum wage in Indiana, the Starke County Chamber of Commerce has decided to survey its membership.
The survey, sent out earlier this week, asked member businesses their thoughts on Indiana’s current minimum wage rate of $7.25 per hour. While there are multiple proposals filed in Indianapolis, the latest proposes to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour.
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The process continues for developing a town convention in North Judson and Hamlet.
The Starke County Election Board met on Tuesday to review additional plans for towns with a population under 3,500.
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The Indiana State Police Polygraph Unit is now accredited. The unit was accredited by the Polygraph Law Enforcement Accreditation (PLEA).
A polygraph unit monitors and records readings of the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems when a person is asked a series of carefully designed questions while attached to the unit. The person taking the test is asked questions where they only answer yes or no. The examiner can determine if the person is giving a true statement by reviewing the readings.
The state of Indiana received approval yesterday to use an updated version of the consumer-driven Healthy Indiana Plan instead of Medicaid.
The program is expected to offer healthcare to 350-thousand uninsured Hoosiers.
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Candidates running for office in Starke County could be facing fines for not filing the appropriate financial disclosure forms.
During Tuesday’s Starke County Election Commission meeting, filing CFA-4 forms was discussed as important due to laws implemented at the state level. There are three financial documents that need to be filed for a candidate to be in compliance.
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A man who police say ran from the scene where a meth lab and stolen items were found was taken into custody.
Jason E. Cooke, 35, of Plymouth was located and taken into custody by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department on Monday, Jan. 26. Cooke was later transported to the Starke County Jail and is being held on preliminary charges of burglary and theft, according to a Knox City Police Department press release.
The state’s unemployment rate went up a tenth of a percent to 5.8 percent. Since December 2013, Indiana’s labor force has grown by over 83,000 people that is nearly twice of any neighboring state, according to Indiana Workforce Development. December was the first month where Indiana’s unemployment rate has exceeded the U.S. rate. The U.S. rate has declined by two-tenths of a percent to 5.6 percent, mainly due to a decrease of 273,000 in the national labor force.
Members of the United States Senate debated 18 amendments yesterday on a bill that would approve construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline.
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A bill has been filed in Indianapolis that could affect local businesses.
Senate Bill 41 looks to increase Indiana’s minimum wage from its current rate of $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour. If signed into law, the increase would put Indiana in line with other states implementing similar pieces of legislation.
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The Indiana Department of Revenue is promoting an option that some Indiana residents may qualify for when filing their taxes.
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Income tax filing time means it’s also time to see where you stand in terms of need-based college financial aid for the 2015-16 academic year. Ancilla College Executive Director of Admissions Eric Wignall says you need to have family income information handy before visiting www.fafsa.gov to fill out the necessary form. Last year’s tax information can be used to estimate, and this year’s data can be plugged in after taxes are finished.
In conjunction with national efforts, Indiana Governor Mike Pence has issued a proclamation recognizing this week as Indiana School Choice Week.
The movement organizes events that look to inform parents about the K-12 education options available, and to point out a few of the benefits for choice in education policy.
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If the cold weather is giving you spring fever, WKVI’s Ed Hasnerl has just the cure. Join him for a four-day, three-night chartered bus trip to Holland, Mich. May 4-7 to enjoy the beauty of the annual Tulip Festival and more. Continue reading
A Knox man and a Warsaw woman face charges after police in Starke County reportedly found an inactive meth lab, drugs and paraphernalia at their home, which is located next door to a preschool. Continue reading
A bill preventing firefighters from serving on Township Boards was approved in Indiana about two years ago, but State Senator Jim Arnold is trying to exempt firefighters under new legislation.
Senator Arnold has filed a bill that would allow an individual to serve as both a member of a Township Board and a volunteer firefighter. The move comes after many rural areas have been experiencing problems finding individuals to serve in government.
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The clerk’s offices in Starke County and Marshall County were busy tending to more candidates who wish to file for office for this year’s Municipal Election.
In Starke County, Republican Anthony Radkiewicz filed for Knox City Council District 4 while Democrat Tim Manns filed for Knox City Council District 4. Republican Wendy Hoppe filed for another term on the North Judson Town Council in Ward 2, and Democrat Tamara Brantley is seeking a seat on the Hamlet Town Council. Republican Charles Hasnerl is seeking another term as Knox City Court Judge.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is one of the leading health conditions in Starke County. IU Health Starke Hospital Respiratory Therapist Brittany Ward says smoking is the biggest contributing factor, but environmental and occupational triggers can also cause COPD. It has two components — chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Patients can have one or both. Ward says emphysema is more common in smokers. Continue reading
The Starke County Sheriff’s Department says their prescription drug drop-off program continues to bode well.
A box sits in the lobby of the Starke County Jail that’s intended to act as a receptacle for the prescriptions. Drop-off programs are designed to protect water supplies, prevent taking expired medication, and reduce the spread of medications used as an illegal narcotic.
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State Senator Jim Arnold is hoping several bills will assist in the efforts of the law enforcement community.
Among Arnold’s proposed bills this session is legislation that would better define a safety indicator on firearms. It would also increase penalties for those found to have modified a toy gun to resemble a real firearm.
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The numbers may change slightly, but the message is still the same according to Purdue Extension.
A recently issued report ranked Starke County first in the state of Indiana in meth lab seizures. A team of researchers used population data to determine Starke County’s population, but in writing the report transposed the first two numbers – making the county’s population 32, 197 instead of the more accurate 23,197.
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