Final Payouts Completed for Water Line Replacement Project in Winamac
Town of Winamac Hires Garbage, Recycling Collection Company
Winamac Town Council to Meet Tonight
An update on the Pulaski County Family YMCA will be given by Mike Banta, Mark Kolish will discuss town board tile and AECom will have information on the water project.
The town superintendents will have a monthly update for the board while Town Manager Jim Conner will have a few discussion items as well as Clerk-Treasurer Melanie Berger.
This meeting is open to the public.
Officers Serve Forgery Warrant, Make Three Drug Arrests
A Winamac man who reportedly tried to hide in a closet in order to avoid a trip to jail is behind bars on a $35,000 bond. An officer from the Winamac Police Department responded to a tip that Keith L. Campbell, 44, of Winamac, was at an apartment on Franklin Street last night. Campbell was wanted on two counts of forgery as a C felony. Continue reading
Tree Lighting Ceremonies in Winamac, North Judson Today
Governor Mike Pence Visits Pulaski County
Indiana Governor Mike Pence entered the Fox’s Den in Winamac Tuesday afternoon with a smile on his face and his hand extended to meet the many residents and business owners who gathered there and to discuss the state of Indiana, along with great measures the state is making in education and employment.
Governor Pence stated that small business is what makes Indiana a great place to be.
Local Funeral Director to Serve on Advisory Group
Samuel Frain of Frain Mortuary in Winamac will help other members in the organization evaluate existing member benefits; recommend new programs, products and services; review and provide feedback on new resources; and assist with the recruitment and retention of members from around the world.
The National Funeral Directors Association is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 19,700 individual members who represent more than 10,000 funeral homes in the United States and 39 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.
Governor Pence to Visit Winamac Today
Indiana Governor Mike Pence will be participating in a meet and greet today from Noon to 1 p.m. ET at 124 N. Market Street in Winamac.
This is an opportunity for residents and business owners to get together with the governor to discuss topics such as small business, health insurance and other items of interest.
This event is sponsored by the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce.
Food Finders Mobile Food Pantry Schedules Visit in Winamac
Free food will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis for eligible residents. You must meet 185 percent of the federal poverty guidelines to be eligible to receive this service.
Luncheon Scheduled for Potential Winamac Hotel Investors
Cobblestone Development specializes in building budget friendly accommodations for business travelers and others in small communities like Winamac. Developer John F. Seibert says the accommodations would be similar to those offered by a Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn. He adds hotels like the one his company is proposing take about five months to build.
Winamac Seniors Present Policy Proposal to School Board
The Eastern Pulaski School Board heard a presentation from a group of seniors who developed a “bring your own device” policy as a class project for the board to consider for second semester.
Superintendent Dan Foster explained that this policy would allow students to bring in their own iPad, laptop, smart phone or technology device for use during the second semester. The seniors felt that they weren’t being treated fairly.
Winamac Coil Spring Considering Expansion Into Pulaski County
A Kewanna-based business is poised to expand operations into Winamac, according to information shared with the Pulaski County Economic Development Board of Directors. Winamac Coil Spring is in the process of purchasing the former Chesapeake Recycling property south of Winamac on U.S. 35 and plans to move a production line from Fulton to Pulaski County. The move will initially create between nine and 12 jobs with the potential for significant sales and employment growth over the next decade. Winamac Coil Spring officials recently approached Pulaski County Economic Development Director Nathan P. Origer to ask about an upfront cash incentive from the county to offset some of the hefty front-end costs involved in the project. Origer’s board discussed the matter and agreed to recommend a forgivable loan of up to $150,000 guaranteed by a contract.
WCS is a leading manufacturer of compression, extension and torsion springs for a variety of customers and also offers wireforms. The company was founded in 1948 by Walter Pesaresi and is now run by second and third generation descendants.
Pillowcase Ladies Receive Grant from Kankakee Valley REMC
Young patients at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis will continue to enjoy bright, colorful, handmade pillowcases made by volunteers in Winamac thanks to the generosity of Kankakee Valley REMC’s Operation Round Up program.
The Pillowcase Ladies recently received a $1,000 grant from the cooperative to help purchase fabric. The women have been making pillowcases for patients there since 2012. They were inspired by Winamac Community High School cheerleader Cierra Schmicker, who was hospitalized there for treatment. Their initial pillowcase sew was funded by donations from individuals and businesses. The ladies have continued to congregate and make pillowcases and have held successful fundraiser to cover the cost of their materials. Each pillowcase costs about $3 to make.
Food Finders Mobile Food Pantry Returns to Winamac
Hoosier EMS Defendant Pleads Guilty in Federal Court
A former employee of a private ambulance transportation service has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Kahley Vergon-Moyette, 28, of Monticello, is one of three Hoosier EMS employees accused of defrauding Medicare of more than $2 million. She was the general manager and operations manager of the Buffalo-based business. Court documents filed last November indicate the company submitted claims to Medicare between May of 2009 and May of 2012 for reimbursement of services that were never rendered. Hoosier EMS owner Roy Dunn and employee and former co-owner Anthony Bitterling, both of Winamac, are also charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Their cases are pending in U.S. District Court. Vergon-Moyette is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 8, 2014.
Food Donations are Accepted for Holiday Food Bags at PCHS
Officials with the annual Coordinated Local Assistance Service Project, or CLASP, is asking for your help in assisting your neighbors in need this holiday season.
The collection of specific food items to place in holiday food bags is going on now. If you wish to donate food for the holiday food bags, you may drop off instant potatoes, stuffing, cake mix, pudding green beans, mushroom soup, rolls and hams at the Pulaski County Human Services (PCHS) building in Winamac. Food donations should be made by Dec. 10 so all food items are available for distribution the week of Dec. 10.
Tippecanoe River State Park Prepares for Halloween Activities
Ghouls and goblins will take over Tippecanoe River State Park tomorrow for the annual trick-or-treat celebration in the family campground. Each year the families who camp there decorate their campsites and hand out candy to area children. New this year is a costume contest at the park’s Nature Center at 6 p.m. EDT. The facility will also be decorated for Halloween, thanks to volunteers from the Friends of Tippecanoe River State Park nonprofit organization. The actual trick-or-treating starts at 6:30 in the campground and is scheduled to go on until 8:30. Parking for both the costume contest and trick-or-treat will be in the Nature Center parking lot, and entry fees into the park four miles north of Winamac on U.S. 35 still apply.
Pulaski County Surveyor Not in Favor of Move
Pulaski County Surveyor Jenny Keller appeared before the commissioners Monday night to discuss the move to the highway garage.
Keller told WKVI that she wanted the commissioners to know her feelings and the feelings of those in the office about the idea of moving from their space in the courthouse out to the county highway garage. She is not in favor of the move and had expressed that opinion to the commissioners in previous talks on the issue.
Panhandle Pathway Peninsula Prairie Remnant Dedicated
A remnant of Indiana’s earliest settlers is now preserved along the Panhandle Pathway recreational trail south of Winamac along U.S. 35.
The 3.5 acre portion of the original Prairie Peninsula starts at County Road 400 South and goes north for 6/10 of a mile. The spot will serve as an informational and educational habitat along the trail, which sits in the bed of the former Pennsylvania Railroad. The spot was covered by railroad beds in the 1860s but has been reclaimed by nature in the decade since the railway has been vacated. The ability of the native vegetation to grow and tolerate harsh conditions, combined with their deep root system, have allowed them to thrive once again. The small area contains more than 38 species of native plants. They tend to protect the ecosystem by keeping soil from eroding and filtering water which flows into streams and rivers from silt deposits and pesticides. They also provide a habitat for birds, butterflies and wildlife.
