A Winamac man has been named to a national agriculture committee. Scott Fritz was named by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee. Fritz’s committee is charged with working on trade in grains, feed, oilseeds and planting seeds.
The lives of three 19-year-old boys were tragically lost in an auto accident this weekend in Royal Center. Erron Stoddard of Winamac, Brandon Lee Miller of Winamac, and Bruce Leearmel Wireman of Culver were killed when their SUV crashed into the rear of a parked semitrailer. They suffered blunt force trauma with massive internal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene.
Construction work continues on two bridges on U.S. 35 in Pulaski and LaPorte Counties.
An INDOT spokesman told WKVI News that work is just about complete on Phase 1 of the Quigley Ditch Bridge replacement project in Winamac. Crews will be paving the rehabilitated section of bridge in the next few days and traffic is expected to switch onto the new pavement by this Friday, September 9th. The other side of the bridge will then be rehabbed. Traffic restrictions should be gone by the end of October or early November unless inclement weather delays construction.
The comedy musical Nunsense A-Men! will be performed Saturday and Sunday, September 10th and 11th, by students from the Winamac Community High School Drama Department.
The event will be a dinner theater both evenings. A chicken dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m., in the school cafeteria, followed by dessert at 6:30 p.m., in the Socialtorium. The show will begin at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Wednesday, September 7th, is the final day to purchase dinner/show tickets which are $10.00. The show only tickets are $6.00 may be purchased up to showtime at the door. All current Winamac students will receive a $1.00 discount on their tickets. To purchase your dinner/show tickets, call the Winamac Community High School office at (574) 946-6151.
Nunsense A-Men! is written by Dan Goggin and is presented through special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
The production stars students Tyler Abbott, Jordan Morning, Ridge Parks, Caleb Schmicker and J.T. Garnett. It will be directed by Patrick Schuttrow.
Ronald Lee Magers of Medaryville was arrested Thursday after an attempted residential entry. The victim identified the suspect as Magers and he was located a short time after the incident and taken into custody.
During a search of Magers’ clothing, a number of illegal items were located, including drug paraphernalia, digital scales, pills and several small bags that were suspected to contain marijuana. Magers was arrested and transported to the Pulaski County Jail. Formal charges are pending.
The Pulaski County General Election ballot is ready for November. Uncontested races will not appear on the ballot this Fall.
These contested races will appear on the ballot in Pulaski County:
In Winamac, Republican Melanie A. (Parish) Berger and Democrat David Weber will be vying for the Town-Clerk Treasurer’s seat.
Knox City Police Department officers recovered a vehicle, Tuesday, that had been reported stolen from the Cambe dealership in Knox.
The vehicle, a red 2010 Chevy Silverado, was reported stolen November 18th, 2010. It was parked in the south lot of the business and it was last seen on the property on November 17th. The truck was found to be in the possession of Cheyenne Allen, 34, at his Winamac residence. When asked about the truck, Allen said he allegedly purchased it from two subjects. He said he never got the title to the vehicle and suspected it to be stolen, but never reported it to police. He said he paid $3,500 and exchanged an older Dodge truck for the new vehicle. He had also reportedly purchased a trailer from the pair and found it to be stolen. The owner had confronted him and it was returned to the owner.
The Drama Department of Winamac Community High School will soon proudly present a dinner theatre to start the 2011-2012 school year off on the right foot. Director Patrick Schuttrow was approached by a group of seniors that came up with the idea and wanted to see it happen.
After some deliberation, the group decided to perform Nunsense A-men, a spin-off of the popular Nunsense series composed by Dan Goggin. In this version, the characters are played by men, giving male actors a chance to be part of the fun in this show that has delighted audiences for nearly three decades.
The Pulaski County YMCA is hosting its first ever large Tippecanoe River float event. The float will launch from Haschel Bridge at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10.
“This is a free event to anyone who would like to participate. Our goal is just to have a fun day where families can come out and do something together as a group,” said Cara Dulin of the YMCA.
Today, the Pulaski County Health Department will be offering a walk-in clinic for school children who need their immunizations for school.
The walk-in clinic is open today from 3 – 7 p.m. ET at the Health Department for children in Kindergarten through 12th grade. The Health Department is charging $8.00 per shot. If you are on Medicaid, you will need your Medicaid card and the Health Department will bill Medicaid directly. Parents should also present immunization cards when at the clinic.
Andrew W. Sturgeon, 25, of Winamac was arrested Tuesday by Pulaski County Police on a warrant. The warrant included charges of Fraud on a Financial Institution, a Class C Felony; and Theft, a Class D Felony. Sturgeon allegedly stole $947.77 through false deposits and withdrawals.
According to the police report, officers were dispatched to First Federal Savings Bank in Winamac. When the officer arrived and spoke with Assistant Branch Manager Rhonda Lower, he was told that a customer, Sturgeon, had been making deposits at ATMs that were not correct. On June 24th, Sturgeon reportedly made a deposit of $300 at an ATM near the bank. When checked, there was only $30 in the envelope. After making the deposit, Sturgeon withdrew $260 from the account, which actually had a balance of only $30.92.
Two economic summits have been planned for Pulaski County. One of these summits will take place in Francesville while the other is planned for Winamac.
“Economic summits give businesses the opportunity that maybe they don’t get on a daily basis to have government with a local interest let them know what they can do to help them,” said Nathan Origer of the CDC.
The wastewater project for the town of Winamac has rounded the halfway point, according to a representative from Commonwealth Engineers. The council gave permission for payment to be submitted for parts of the project, and surface paving on Riverside Drive has been completed. No complaints have been received regarding the project.
Eight homes in Winamac will be undergoing some much-needed renovations, thanks to a grant approved by the Winamac Town Council this week. Shawn Cain from KIRPC approached the Council with a request to approve a bid to perform various work in these houses, including installation of energy-efficient windows, heating systems, insulation, and some electrical work and plumbing as well. Visit sites like homeserviceheroesfl.com/residential-plumbing/tampa-fl/ for additional plumbing guidance. Most of these homes need several different improvements, and the houses with the most pressing needs will be given the highest priority. The town is expected to provide a 10% match for the grant.
Town Conventions will be held in Winamac, Francesville and Medaryville.
A Town Convention will be held in Winamac on Thursday, August 18th at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Winamac High School Auditorium. A vote there will determine a single Republican candidate for the position of Town Clerk-Treasurer. Republicans Christina L. (Shorter) Hoffa and Melanie A. (Parish) Berger have filed and one them will go onto the General Election to face Democrat David Weber.
The Pulaski County Health Department will be offering a walk-in clinic on Monday, August 15th from 3:00-7:00 p.m. ET for children that still need their immunizations for school.
Children in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade can receive immunizations for $8.00 per shot and if you are on Medicaid, you will need to bring a Medicaid card with you and Medicaid will be billed directly. Parents should take the child’s immunization card with you at the time of the visit.
This week is World Breast Feeding Week and Sharon Berry, OB Nurse Manager at Pulaski Memorial Hospital, says the Hospital staff is encouraging the public to be aware of this healthy choice.
“Here at Pulaski Memorial Hospital, we are very proud to be working at a Hospital that recognizes the importance breast feeding has on the health of our community,” said Berry. “Our OB Department has started the pathway to becoming a baby friendly hospital. The baby friendly hospital initiative assists hospitals in giving mothers the information, confidence and skills needed to be successful at breast feeding.”
Federal charges have been filed against Nathan VanDerAa of Star City.
On June 3rd, 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. VanDerAa had his initial hearing in federal court in South Bend on July 6th.
Two Knox residents were arrested after a traffic accident in Winamac on Sunday.
The Winamac Police Department investigated the scene where driver, Mathew Hall of Indianapolis, stated that he was stopped at the traffic light at the bridge construction site on US 35 in Winamac when John Rupert, of Knox, rear-ended his vehicle. Both drivers exited the vehicle and Hall told police that he spoke to Rupert and his speech was slurred and he appeared to be “messed up”. Hall said that Rupert and his wife, Charlotte Rupert, who was a passenger in the vehicle, then ran toward an apartment complex south of the scene. The pair were later located inside an apartment hiding and were later arrested and taken to the Pulaski County Jail.
Officers from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department arrested two Winamac residents at a campground on methamphetamine related charges yesterday afternoon.
Police were called to a Pulaski County campground for a report of suspicious activity. A person who is familiar with the residents and campers at the campground noticed a vehicle that appeared out of place. Officers arrived and found 24-year-old Jeffrey L. Jacobs and 35-year-old Michael Mills in Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Paraphernalia. They were transported to the Pulaski County Jail on those preliminary charges.
