A potentially life-saving piece of equipment may soon be within reach for the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Jeff Richwine told the county commissioners Monday that he recently learned about grant opportunities from the USDA for equipment purchases. He hopes to possibly use some of that funding to get a body scanner for the jail.
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Through the USDA’s Rural Housing and Repair Loans and Grants program, assistance can be provided to very low-income homeowners to help repair, improve and modernize homes or remove health and safety hazards from rural dwellings. Residents also have the option of obtaining a loan through hard money lenders.
North Judson Utility Superintendent Marshall Horstmann highlighted this opportunity at Monday’s town council meeting and provided members with some additional information about the terms. Continue reading
More than 100 rural infrastructure projects across the country, including one here in Starke County, are being funded thanks in part to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program.
The Town of North Judson received a $3,892,000 loan from the USDA to assist with their sewer improvement project. Continue reading
More than 250 Indiana schools and community sponsors will be kicking off their Food Summer Service Programs this week, with a number of local sites included.
June is the busiest month for the program since many families begin seeking additional nutrition assistance in the summertime. For that reason, Governor Eric Holcomb issued a statewide proclamation, declaring the week of June 4th through the 8th Summer Food Service Program week.
For more than 40 years, the program has provided eligible children and teens ages 18 and under with access to free, nutritious meals and snacks during the summer months. Last year, more than 3 million meals were delivered across the state. This year there are various sites set up across Starke and Pulaski County to help hungry kids here in our community. Continue reading
Knox Mayor Dennis Estok provided a brief update about the city’s wastewater treatment plant rehabilitation project when city council members met last Tuesday.
Mayor Estok explained that the city was initially trying to obtain a USDA grant. However, that grant was not received and the project had to be reworked to be more financially feasible. Continue reading
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is forecasting similar corn yields to last year’s in Indiana, but many Hoosier farmers aren’t that optimistic. That’s according to the Indiana Farm Bureau.
Knox officials continue to voice their opposition to proposed cuts to rural water funding through the USDA. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, along with representatives from the city’s water and wastewater departments, recently met with staff from U.S. Representative Jackie Walorski’s office. Continue reading
The City of Knox and other rural communities stand to lose a significant source of revenue under President Donald Trump’s proposed budget. It eliminates the USDA water and wastewater loan and grant program and shifts federal funding to the EPA state revolving loan fund. Continue reading
The City of Knox is ready to apply for a federal grant and loan to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant.
Much of the infrastructure is more than 20 years old and no longer runs efficiently. At a minimum the city is looking at upgrades to the headworks to better deal with grit removal and screening. The necessary equipment carries an estimated cost of $500,000, according to a study done last year for the city. Improvements to the aeration side of the plant are also proposed. Continue reading
The City of Knox is not pursuing a matching grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs to pay for wastewater treatment plant upgrades. Mayor Dennis Estok told the city council Tuesday night he made that executive decision prior to last week’s deadline. Continue reading
The USDA is encouraging local farmers to enroll in a crop insurance program before the August deadline.
The Culver Community Schools Corporation is busy preparing for the upcoming school year. Interim Superintendent Chuck Kitchell told the school board Monday that one of the changes in 2016-2017 is the official consolidation of the middle and high schools into one facility. Continue reading
The Pulaski County Commissioners have provided a letter of support for a project upgrading Pulaski Memorial Hospital.
Officials have already sought special financing from the county to help pay for certain upgrades in the form of a storage facility and upgrades to the parking lot. This is only one part of the project, according to discussion during Monday night’s Commissioner’s meeting.
Farmers are urged to get their applications in as soon as possible for loans to cover losses caused by flooding that started in May of this year. Continue reading
Farmers throughout the state who suffered crop losses due to excessive rainfall can apply for low-interest emergency loans from the federal government. The U.S. Department of Agriculture yesterday approved a secretarial disaster declaration for 53 of Indiana’s 92 counties. Gov. Mike Pence, Lt. Gov. Sue Ellsperman and Indiana Farm Service Agency Executive Director Julia A. Wickard made the request in late July after farmers suffered significant crop damage and losses as a result of flooding and excessive rain that started May 1st. Continue reading
The North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation will take part in the federal summer food service program this year. Free breakfast and lunch will be available to all children through age 18 each Monday through Thursday from June 9 through 26. Food will also be served to adults who are enrolled in a state approved education program for the mentally or physically disabled. All meals will be served at the North Judson-San Pierre Elementary School cafeteria. Breakfast will be offered from 7:30 until 8 a.m. daily. Lunch will be served from 11:15 a.m. until noon. Adults may eat there for a nominal charge. Adult breakfasts cost $1, and lunches are $2.
Giddeon Nobbe from USDA requested the use of Marshall County’s GIS data.
He told the Marshall County Commissioners this week that the computer system has changed and using the GIS data will help the representatives look at boundaries for insurance purposes. Ownership of the right amounts of land would be able to be calculated easier. It would be helpful for crop information and insuring animals.
This $100,000 grant will help the ISDH to conduct strategic planning to expand and better support the Indiana Farm to School Network efforts and assess school food service infrastructure and readiness to incorporate local products into school meal programs. Scholarships will also be made available for small farmers and school food service staff members to attend trainings that provide skills and information that support farm to school.
Food Service Directors from the area schools are sending in their school lunch menus for the upcoming school year already and those are available here.
You’ll notice there are more fruits and vegetables on the menu this year. The menus are designed to encourage students to make healthier choices.
More vegetables are being offered to students to help improve healthy eating and to tackle child obesity issues. Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman noted that changes were made last school year and more changes are expected on plates this coming school year.
