Another Starke County bridge is soon to be repaired, as the commissioners this week gave their approval to sign paperwork for the engineering aspect of the repairs on Bridge 43, located near Koontz Lake. Mark Wilson with engineering firm Jones, Petrie, and Rafinski approached the commissioners with paperwork to be signed for the go-ahead on the engineering study.
Pulaski Commissioners Approve Request for Bids for New Treasurer Computers
The Pulaski County Commissioners this week approved a request from Treasurer Lynn Wilder to advertise for bids to purchase new computers for her office. Wilder explained her office is in heavy need of some new computers, as their current equipment is more than six years old.
North Judson Town Board Approves Two Ordinances on First, Second Readings
Two ordinances in the town of North Judson underwent their first and second readings by the town board this week and are slated for their third and final readings at the board meeting on Feb. 4. North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained the cemetery rules and regulations ordinance and the animal ordinance were approved on their first readings.
SCILL Center Students Looking Forward to Beginning Internships
Welding students in the SCILL Center’s vocational welding program will soon be traveling from the classroom to internship programs, as several of the students will begin their internships at local businesses within the next week. Director Jerry Gurrado said that he wasn’t expecting any of the students to take any kind of certification test until around April, but he has already seen three high school students obtain their first certification.
40 Flu-Related Deaths Confirmed in Indiana
The number of flu-related deaths has now climbed to 40.
Of the 40 deaths, 38 individuals had underlying medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and asthma. A large majority of the deaths occurred in individuals older than the age of 65.
Two Arrested on Auto Theft, Burglary Charges
Two Plymouth residents were arrested Monday on several charges after an alleged auto theft and burglary incident.
Marshall County Sheriff’s Department deputies were called out on a report of two suspicious suspects near a residence on 5D Road and Michigan Road. Police didn’t find anyone there, but during their search, they learned that several vehicles had been broken into and items stolen.
Starke Commissioners Approve Sale of Timber from County Forest
The Starke County Commissioners Monday night discussed the Starke County Forest and a request from Forester Bruce Wakeland to sell timber from the forest in an area he had previously set aside for white pine.
Wakeland had donated a piece of property, 129 acres, to the county that he currently manages to be used as a county forest. The forest, on State Road 8, pays its bills by selling timber instead of using county funds and gate fees. Wakeland said the forest has trails and other attractions that the public is welcome to check out, and he said the forest has been seeing its fair share of visitors.
Pulaski Commissioners Accept Bid for Electrical Work at Courthouse
The days of outdated electrical wiring in the Pulaski County Courthouse will soon come to an end, as the commissioners this week approved a motion to accept a bid for the second stage of electrical upgrades to the courthouse. Maintenance Director Morry DeMarco presented to the commissioners last night four bids for the electrical work to be reviewed, and after a discussion, the commissioners accepted a bid from Roger’s Electric Company of Medaryville.
SCILL Center Announces 10 of 10 Adult Students Received Welding Certifications
The SCILL Center has announced one of its proudest accomplishments to date: Director Jerry Gurrado said that 10 of the 10 students that enrolled in the adult welding class have received their American Welding Society certificates. While the national average is somewhere between 47 and 52 percent, Gurrado said the center is currently boasting a 100 percent average of those who completed the course and went on to receive their certification.
North Judson Residents Encouraged to Run Water Taps During Cold Temperatures
With the bitter cold temperatures in the Kankakee Valley, North Judson residents are strongly encouraged to leave their water taps running just a little bit. North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that Town Superintendent Marshall Horstmann told the board at their meeting this week that because of the very cold temperatures and the lack of snow on the ground, the pipes are particularly vulnerable to freezing.
1st Source Bank Donates $5,000 to Starke County Youth Club
The Starke County Youth Club is the recipient of a generous donation from 1st Source Bank.
1st Source Bank donated $5,000 toward the organization and Judy Caudill, Manager of the 1st Source Banking Center in Knox, recognized that the Starke County Youth Club has a positive impact on the lives of so many children that she was pleased to make the donation in continuing that effort.
Stay Prepared When the Thermometer Dips
The bitter cold temperatures prompted school corporations to call for a delay in the start of school Tuesday and temperatures will remain the lower 20s for today.
It’s important to stay prepared. Make sure your car has at least a half of a tank of gas, your car’s tires are properly inflated and you stock your car with emergency items like blankets, flashlights, a cell phone, and snack items in case you are stranded.
Water Department officials ask that you leave a small stream of water from your faucet to avoid the hassle of frozen pipes.
Protect Yourself Against the Flu
The latest flu report will be out later today, but at last report 27 people had died as a result of influenza illnesses. Only two of those occurred in people under the age of 18. No county in Indiana has had five reported deaths.
All physicians, labs and hospitals are to report influenza-associated deaths to local health departments within 72 hours of the knowledge of death.
You are encouraged to protect yourself from getting the flu by practicing good hand washing techniques and to wash your hands frequently. Get the flu vaccine at your local health department, pharmacy or physician’s office.
Hazardous Preparedness Analysis Report Complete at IU Health Starke Hospital
IU Health Starke Hospital Management Director Ed Barcus is part of the Starke County Local Emergency Planning Committee and he recently completed a Hazardous Preparedness Analysis which identifies the top emergencies the hospital could face in 2013.
Tornadoes, winter storms, temperature extremes and mass casualty events were high on the list. With that, Barcus completed emergency guidelines for his staff and all colleagues to follow in case of a disastrous event.
Sandbar Fire Ruled Arson
The fire at the Sandbar at Bass Lake has been ruled an arson.
Detectives with the Starke County Sheriff’s Department have determined that some unknown individual(s) started the fire in the early morning hours of Dec. 2. Five fire departments battled the blaze at the popular Starke County establishment and it took three hours to extinguish the fire.
Plymouth Woman Arrested on Drug Charges Following Investigation
The Plymouth Police Department arrested a Plymouth woman after police executed a search warrant at 822 W. Monroe St.
On Sunday morning, officers from the Plymouth Police Department, Indiana State Police and the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department went to the residence after complaints were received over the Drug Task Force tip line along with another investigation.
Starke County Commissioners Receive Narrowbanding Update
Starke County is still suffering from the storms that wreaked havoc in June and July, as the Sheriff’s Department’s radio tower is still not quite up-to-snuff because of damage caused during the storms. IT Director Joe Short gave the commissioners an update last night on the progress of not only the repairs on the tower, but also the county’s progress on complying with new narrowband requirements from the FCC.
West Central School Board Holds Work Session
The West Central School Board took some time last week to review the corporation’s strategic plan. Superintendent Charles Mellon said the board took a look at their educational goals had all building principals comment on progress and improvement areas.
“As a school corporation, we need to know if the resources were available that they needed,” explained Mellon. “We wanted their input. We’re very much interested in the academic growth of the students, of course. Is there something that we need as far as in-servicing for the staff? There’s a lot of data collection going on – are we using that in the classroom to have data-driven instruction?”
Earthquake Drill to Take Place in Marshall County
In conjunction with the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut, the Marshall County Safety Committee will be conducting an earthquake drill on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 10:15 a.m.
Most people do not associate earthquakes with Indiana, despite the fact that two major seismic zones – New Madrid and Wabash Valley – are in close enough proximity that they could create earthquakes with a magnitude as high as 8. Perhaps because of this proximity, as the years go on, it has become increasingly more common for property owners in the area to hire a foundation contractor for Earthquake Retrofitting Services in order to keep their home and family safe. It is crucial to conduct a foundation repair if there are cracks on your property’s foundation or walls.
The drill is designed to test preparedness capabilities in the event of an earthquake in the state, which could cause significant damage to buildings and critical infrastructures including roads, bridges, electrical grids, and natural supply gas lines throughout much of the state. Top that off with the fact that scientists believe we are overdue for a major earthquake, and the necessity for such a drill is obvious.
Ritz Sworn in as Superintendent of Public Instruction
Glenda Ritz has been sworn in as Indiana’s superintendent of public instruction, making her the first Democrat to hold the position in decades. Ritz, a former teacher, was inaugurated as Indiana’s top education official this weekend at the Statehouse before a crowd of supporters.
Ritz managed to beat out Republican School Superintendent Tony Bennett in November with her campaign against many of Bennett’s education changes. Her primary electoral support seemed to come from teachers as Ritz said she feels teachers need to be evaluated, but not with high stakes such as merit pay at risk.
