The Winamac Town Board approved a request to buy additional insurance for the airport.
Town Manager Jim Conner told the Town Board that he had received an email from Budd Insurance Agency about the Town’s purchase of liability insurance for Arens Field. It was suggested that the Town purchase a $5 million Public Officials Liability Insurance to cover the Town’s portion of the airport costs. The cost from now until September would be $450 and a renewal will cost $1,344 in September.
The Winamac Town Board heard a request from Clerk-Treasurer Melanie Parish Berger to modify the hours at the Clerk’s Office.
She suggested that the Clerk’s Office be open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday office hours would be eliminated.
The Winamac Town Board appointed a new Park Superintendent at their recent meeting. Rick Dilts was appointed and he will assume the duties from Don Thompson on April 1st. Don Thompson is retiring after 20 years as the Winamac Town Park Superintendent. The Board thanked him for this dedication to the town and Thompson thanked everyone for the last 20 years and he said he hoped he leaves the park in better shape than when he got it.
Officers from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department arrested a Winamac man on Friday on an active arrest warrant after he was severely beaten by two suspects.
Dennis Howard was at Pulaski Memorial Hospital when officials notified the police that he was wanted on an active arrest warrant. When questioned, police learned that Howard was at a home on 550 N. and two North Judson men allegedly beat him with their fists and shovels and he was kicked. He had fled from officers earlier in the day and ended up at 6735 W. 550 N. It was then he was reportedly beaten. He had sustained injuries all over his body.
A 19-year-old Star City man was arrested Saturday after he drove his car erratically around a block party.
Rusty J. Steele was reportedly revving his car’s engine and squealing the tires around Market and Pearl Streets in Winamac where a block party was scheduled. Police reportedly saw Steele travel south on Logan Street towards Main Street. When Steele got to Main Street, he reportedly revved his engine again, squealed the tires and turned toward U.S. 35.
Basketball was a lot different in the 1930’s. Scores were lower, the two-handed set shot, and underhand free throw toss was in, and players 6′ 4″ or over were considered giants.
70 years ago today, the 1932 Winamac High School team went to the one class state basketball tournament before bowing out in the final game to New Castle 24-17.
The talk about gasoline prices and what’s driving the market has overshadowed the fact that huge oil finds have been discovered in the United States. According to Don Good, of Good Oil in Winamac, we are able to get to the product with new technology.
Don talked to us recently about the Bakken Shale Oil Field which stretches from Canada into Montana and North Dakota. This field could hold over four billion barrels of oil reserves, and the Arctic Natural Wildlife Refuge in Alaska could potentially hold up to 10 billion barrels of oil. They are looking at oilfield wireline services for the number of things these can do.
A San Pierre man was arrested Tuesday after police found him to be intoxicated and in possession of prescription medication while at the Winamac boys basketball Sectional tournament.
A student approached Pulaski County Sheriff’s deputies at the high school and told them that a man was in the stands threatening students and he smelled of alcohol. Police lead Craig Madsen into a hallway and asked him if he had been drinking. He denied drinking alcohol and became argumentative. Police administered several sobriety tests and found him to be under the influence. He consented to a Portable Breath Test which reportedly registered .085 BAC. Madsen was told he was under arrest for Public Intoxication.
How many remember the fire in June of 1998 at the Starke County Annex?
It was on this date in 1999 that the Starke County Government Building was formally opened for business. The re-dedication services gave government officials a chance to thank those who helped contain the fire and those who helped restore it to its present condition.
Also in 1999, Dan Frain and Bob Curtis asked the Winamac Town Board’s approval to seek Lilly Endowment grant money to build a “Y” in Winamac next to the town swimming pool.
It was on this date in 1995 that Red Carpet and Furniture in Winamac burned to the ground.
In 1999, long-time Winamac resident Bill Russell, passed away. Russell, along with brothers Joe and Fred, plus brother-in-law Don Bome, ran Russell’s Trading Post in Winamac.
More trouble has found its way to the Pulaski County Recycling Transfer Station. Recycling Center Director Ed Clark told the Pulaski County Commissioners that the transfer station’s blade has rusted out with an estimated replacement cost of $4,000. At the same time, cylinders from their equipment have begun leaking oil, and Clark says that these cylinders need repaired immediately. A company has been hired to fix the equipment, but they have received no estimate on the repair.
The Eastern Pulaski School Corporation and the Town of Winamac are working together to construct a safe route to school. Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman explains where the route would be located.
“It’s the dovetail off the pathway trail that used to be the railroad tracks that they made into very nice bicycle, running and walking path,” said Dr. Klitzman. “What they want to do is take roadways from that pathway that lead to school and do everything they can to make it safe and useable. It’s a wellness thing. That’s so students can walk, or run, or ride their bike safely to school.”
Several donations have been made by businesses and individuals toward the acquisition of a new grand piano for the music department at the Winamac High School. Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman said the Winamac Music Boosters’ quest is moving along.
Winamac Park Department employees have been cleaning the park after the recent flooding event.
The Tippecanoe River runs through the Winamac Town Park and the water had risen to high levels in the past few months due to snow melt and rains. The back of the park had been closed to keep park patrons from entering the flooded area. The employees were also clearing the river of garbage and other debris from the park.
David Luttrell and Wyatt Hagerman, of Winamac, were arrested Friday after a traffic stop.
Officers from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department stopped David Luttrell’s car and found that he was operating a vehicle with a suspended Driver’s License. When the officer approached the vehicle, he reportedly saw a passenger in the vehicle attempting hide something in the back seat. Police asked the passenger, Wyatt Hagerman, to step out of the vehicle. The officer allegedly saw a spoon and a bright orange cap from a syringe protruding from the pocket of his jeans. Officers also reportedly found a plastic bag containing seven syringes.
The Winamac Town Board will be hiring a company to search for any issues with the town’s water pipes. The Board wants to be sure that all of the pipes are secure and are using this as a precaution to possibly avoid a bigger problem.
The Board also learned that the housing rehabilitation program through K-IRPC is almost complete. The Town of Winamac was the recipient of a grant to rehabilitate eight houses with siding, heating/cooling, windows, roofing, or electrical issues to make them more efficient for qualified homeowners. All of the homes are done and the paperwork is being completed at this time.
A Winamac man was arrested Saturday on drunk driving charges after he showed signs of driving under the influence.
An officer from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department saw a suspicious vehicle and followed it for a while. The vehicle then turned into a driveway on Adams Street in Winamac but no one exited the vehicle. The officer watched the vehicle and it left two minutes later. The driver then approached the intersection of State Road 119 and Boyles Street and failed to come to a complete stop at the intersection. The officer conducted a traffic stop and after interviewing the driver, asked him to step out of the vehicle and began to conduct tests to see if the driver was impaired.
The Winamac Fire Department was called to a house fire at Doug Sobczak’s residence at 626 N. Market Street on Tuesday, January 24th.
Winamac Fire Chief, Bill Weaver, said that the homeowner called and said there was a fire in the living room. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire. A representative from the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s office was called to the scene and could not determine the cause of the fire. Damage was contained to the living room area.
No injuries were reported at the scene.
Nathan VanDerAa’s sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court has been continued to March. His sentencing hearing was scheduled for Friday, January 27th.
On June 3rd, 2011, VanDerAa was arrested on a charge of Possession of Methamphetamine after a traffic stop and a few days later, Starke County officers arrived at his home in Star City and found that he was in the presence of a meth lab, firearms and ammunition. Pulaski County Prosecutor Stacey Mrak filed methamphetamine related charges against him and the ATF was expected to file a federal charge for a firearm possession. Mrak recently dismissed the County’s charges against VanDerAa and they were transferred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Bend.
Tom Collins passed away last week at the age of 100. Leaving behind a wealth of survivors, Collins was born in Yazoo City, Miss., but passed away at Miller’s Merry Manor in Culver. He was a former resident of Chicago, working as a meat packer, but moved to Winamac in 1969. He was preceded in death by his wife, Lillian Williams, who passed away on February 14, 2002.
Collins played professional baseball on a team many people may not know: the Memphis Red Sox, a professional Negro League baseball team based in Memphis, Tenn., from the 1920s until the end of segregated baseball. Collins even played with one very notable player from the team: Satchel Paige, who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971—the first player to be inducted from the Negro leagues.
The owner of Ortman Meat Processing in Winamac passed away Monday in Pulaski Memorial Hospital. James R. Ortman, with his wife Mary,
have owned the business for 23 years as well as Prairie Moon Orchard in Francesville.
Ortman won many awards for his products. He was a member of the Indiana Meat Packers Association and a Director and Chairman of the Cured Meat Show. Jim had lived in Winamac since 1962 and when he was 13, he was adopted by George and Ann Ortman.
